Flora of New Zealand Series

Slender annual or perennial herb. Stems prostrate, ascending, terete, glabrous, (5)-10-20-(50) cm long. Lvs green; marginal vein distinct; lamina glabrous, broadly ovate to orbicular, rarely lanceolate, apiculate, truncate at base, (3)-5-10-(20) × (3)-5-10-(20) mm; petiole < lamina, glabrous or ciliate. Infl. 1-(2)-flowered. Bracts scarious, ovate, c. 1 mm long. Pedicels ascending, to 15 mm. Sepals narrow-lanceolate, acute, 2-3-(3.5) mm long, not veined; margins scarious, glabrous. Petals much < sepals or 0. Stamens 5-10. Capsule ovoid, = or slightly > calyx. Seeds dull dark brown, 0.8-1.2 mm long; papillae low, rounded, broader than long.

N.; S.; St.; Ch., M.

Also indigenous to Tierra del Fuego.

Throughout in forest and other shady damp places.

FL (Sep)-Oct-Jan-(Mar) FT (Sep)-Dec-Feb-(Apr).

S. minuta Kirk, known only from the type and one other collection, is said to differ from S. parviflora, S. decipiens and S. elatinoides by the broadly obtuse sepals. Since it otherwise hardly differs from S. parviflora, it is treated here as a reduced variant of that sp.