Flora of New Zealand Series

Compact, creeping herb forming dense patches up to 0.5 m across. Stems light brown, glabrous or very sparsely strigillose near margins of petioles, rooting at nodes. Lamina of lf with a conspicuous median depression, broadly elliptic to orbicular, 1.5-6 × 1.5-5 mm. Floral tube (1.4)-1.6-2.5 mm deep, glabrous. Petals white, (4)-5-10.7 × 3-7.5 mm. Capsule glabrous or nearly so, 1.5-3.8 cm long; fruiting pedicel (2)-3-6.8 cm long.

N.: Raukumara, Ruahine, and Tararua Ranges, Mt Egmont; S.: mountains throughout, scattered; St.; A., C.

Endemic.

Open, often moist, slopes, usually above bushline but occasionally lower in open, boggy meadows, especially in Fiordland and on St., also often by rock shelters, (sea level)-600-1900 m.

FL Dec-Feb.

E. pernitens is distinguished from the related E. brunnescens by the glabrous or sparsely hairy stems. Both spp. have lvs which are entire or nearly so, very glossy, and often ± red.