Flora of New Zealand Series

Type locality: Takahe Valley. Type: W. W. R. B. Oliver.

Similar in habit to the smaller forms of A. squarrosa. Lvs 2-pinnate, of male plants ± 25 cm., of female plants ± 40 cm. long; margins and midribs serrulate-crenulate, tips pungent. Sheaths up to 5 × 3 cm., tapering to 15 mm.; stipules 3-2-1-foliolate, on ligules up to c. 10 mm. long; lowest central lamina up to c. 5 cm. × 1·5 mm. Petioles c. 5 cm. long, concavo-convex. midrib stout; lower internodes ± 4 cm. long. Primary pinnae 2-5 pairs, the lower ones 3-foliolate, ± 10 cm. × 3-(5) mm. Secondary pinnae up to 5 cm. long, flat, striate, pungent. Stems of male plants ± 6 dm. × 5 mm. including infl. ± 4 dm. long. Lower bracts us. empty, up to 6 cm. long; sheaths c. 3 cm. × 8 mm., submembr.; stipules unequal, to 15 mm. long, pungent. Lamina ± 3 cm. long, ± 3-foliolate. Umbels ± 3 cm diam. on slender rays; involucral bracts capillary; umbellules ± 10-fld, on very short capillary rays. Stems of female plants c. 1 m. × 2 cm. including infl. ± 5 dm. long, oblong-lanceolate. Lower bracts us. empty, ± 8 cm. long; sheaths ± 4 × 1 cm., coriac.; stipules 1-2-3-foliolate, segs pungent, up to 4 cm. long. Lamina ± 3-foliolate to simple in uppermost bracts. Umbels ± 5 cm. diam., on slender rays; involucral bracts capillary. Umbellules ± 10-fld, on very short slender rays. Fr. ± 8 mm. long, broadly winged.

DIST.: S. Montane to subalpine: Takahe Valley, Murchison Range; Ben Lomond; near Lake Te Anau.