Flora of New Zealand Series

Type locality: Cobb Valley. Type: BD 97077, F. G. Gibbs; A 8243 is an isotype.

Rather rigid, spreading, flat-topped or rounded shrub 15-30 cm. high or more; stems stout, branches mostly arching and branched only on upper side. Ultimate branchlets ∞ and close-set, 1·5-2 mm. diam., slightly tetragonous, olive-green below and ochre-coloured at tips, us. glossy; internodes 1·5-2-(2.5) mm. long, partly exposed; nodal joint obscure except in older stems. Lvs 1-(1·5) mm. long, connate up to c. ⅓length, ± deltoid, thick, strongly concavo-convex, appressed or slightly spreading, keeled and projecting on back, narrowed to ± keeled, subacute or obtuse, convex, incurved tip. Spikes up to c. 10-fld. Bracts c. 1·5 mm. long, ovate, keeled and ± subacute or obtuse. Calyx 2-2.5 mm. long, anterior lobes fused into a single obtuse or slightly emarginate ovate-oblong seg., sts shortly secondarily split. Corolla-tube = or > calyx, as broad as long. Capsule 3-3·5 mm. long, oval or narrow-oval, obtuse or subacute, > calyx.

DIST.: S. Mountains of western Nelson: Mt. Arthur, Mt. Cobb and Cobb Valley, Mt. Peel, Mt. Owen, Mt. Buckland.

Previously confused with the closely related H. salicornioides and H. armstrongii but differing from both in the dense spreading habit, firm glossy branchlets and thick lvs which are produced into a keeled incurved tip. Cheeseman included some specimens (A 8232, 8235, 8237) of H. ochracea in his V. coarctata, though the resemblance between the two spp. is superficial only.

The name refers to the striking colouration of the fresh plant. Pressed specimens are often red-brown.