Flora of New Zealand Series

Perennial rosette or sparingly branched herb. Lvs spathulate or cuneately narrowed to winged petiole and obovate to oblong, with (1)-3-4-(6) pairs of rounded or sharp teeth or lobes (seldom lyrate-pinnatifid), glabrous or sparsely to densely clothed in short- or long-stalked glandular hairs on both surfaces and margins, 12-60-(120) × 3-20 mm. Peduncle often with up to 3 lvs becoming reduced and scale-like above, sometimes naked, sparsely to densely clothed in glandular hairs especially near capitulum, (2.5)-5-12-(15) cm long and 0.6-2 mm diam. at flowering, up to 15-(23) cm long at fruiting. Involucral bracts elliptic-oblong, obtuse to subacute and often fimbriate at apex, usually glandular at least near base, rarely glabrous, 2.5-4 mm long. Rays numerous, usually white, rarely flushed pink or lilac, c. 5-8 mm long. Disc yellow. Achenes obovoid-oblong, compressed or subterete, glandular, 2.5-4 mm long; pappus of few bristles 0.1-0.5 mm long.

N.: south of 39°; S.; St.; C.

Endemic.

Forest margins and clearings, coastal sites, grassland, herbfield, cliffs, banks and riverbeds, sea level to 1800 m.

FL (Oct)-Dec-Mar-(May).

B. radicata varies somewhat in size and habit but such variation may only be related to habitat. Variation in hair types may be of more significance; plants may be almost glabrous or have short glandular hairs as found also in B. sinclairii, or may be densely covered in long-stalked multicellular glandular hairs. Allan (1961) accepted 5 vars ( var. radicata, var. thomsonii (Kirk) Allan, var. membranifolia (Kirk) Allan, var. polita (Kirk) Allan, and var. dubia (Kirk) Allan) several of which appear to be based on characters which vary within populations. Infraspecific taxa were not accepted by Davis (op. cit. ) and are not accepted here. B. radicata is distinguished from B. sinclairii by the glandular achenes, the more branched habit, and the lvs which generally have fewer teeth and these close to the apex.