Flora of New Zealand Series

S. biflorus var. uniflorus Ckn. (nomen nudum) ex Simpson et Thomson in T.R.S.N.Z. 71, 1941, 85.

Type locality: Lake Pukaki. Type: W, 5090, Lake Pukaki, Jan. 1950. H. Talbot.

Perennial closely branched, us. yellowish, herb forming low, often very dense and mossy, mat several cm. across, attached by central root system. Lvs evenly and us. closely spaced, 2-4 × 0·5 mm., acuminate with short colourless tips, us. with some short marginal hairs especially near base. Fls single, each with its 2 membr. bracts sessile on top of an axillary peduncle. Sepals 4, acute; stamen 1 on a short ring, filament < sepal length. Fr. c. 2·7 × 1.1 mm. overall, broadest near base where wall is very thick, persistent sepals almost half length of perig. cup; peduncles elongating slightly but not much > lvs when fr. is ripe, retaining the 2 membr. bracts, each < 1 mm. long.

DIST.: S. Common in tussock grassland, also on sand or rock, sealevel to 1200 m. N.? Karioi, R. H. Spencer, A, 4104, in part.

FL. 11-1. FT. 12-4.

In the 1-fld peduncles, bibracteate at the top, and in the single stamen, this sp. agrees with S. singuliflorus (F. Muell.) Mattf. (Mniarum singuliflorum F. Muell. in Trans. Phil. Soc. Vict. 1, 1855, 13; S. mniaroides F. Muell. loc. cit. in synonymy); the Australian plant differs in the "constantly 5-cleft calyx".