Flora of New Zealand Series

Erect annual herb. Lvs hairy when young, becoming sparsely hairy or almost glabrous; lowermost lvs elliptic, long-cuneate, serrate with 3-7 teeth on each side; mid cauline lvs oblanceolate to linear-oblong, remotely dentate, (50)-60-120 × 4-15 mm; uppermost lvs smaller, lanceolate, amplexicaul, entire or few-toothed. Supplementary bracts 9-12, 1.5-3 mm long. Involucral bracts 10-13, glabrous, (6)-7-8 mm long. Ray florets 8-11; ligules yellow, 1-2 mm long. Disc yellow, c. 4-5 mm diam. Achenes densely hairy only between ribs, slightly narrowed to apex, 2.8-3.2 mm long.

N.: Coppermine Id (Hen and Chickens group), Whakairipiha Id (Bay of Islands), and Waimate Id and Motukopake Id (Coromandel Is, Hauraki Gulf).

Endemic.

Rocky or dry coastal slopes and cliffs.

FL Oct.

This sp. is part of the S. lautus complex, but is distinguished from S. lautus by the longer involucral bracts, shorter rays, less divided and differently shaped lvs, and a chromosome number of 2 n = 80. It differs from S. carnosulus (also 2 n = 80) in the erect habit and narrow heads, as well as in lf shape. S. lautus sens. strict. is sympatric with S. marotiri and where the 2 occur together S. marotiri is further distinguished by the linear-lanceolate rather than triangular, supplementary bracts.