Flora of New Zealand Series

Type locality: "near the source of the Heaphy river". Type: W, 2093, J. Dall 20/7/94.

Tufted herb up to c. 3 dm. tall; stock us. simple. taproot stout. Lvs up to c. 2 dm. long, 2-1-pinnate. Sheath very thin, ± 7 × 1 cm., narrowing gradually to apex; stipules ± 10 mm. long, simple or sts with accessory seg.; petiole crenulate-serrulate, ± 4 cm. long; lower internodes rather distant. Primary pinnae up to 2 cm. long, with 1-(2) pairs of pinnules; all segs keeled, grooved, pungent, giving a squarrose appearance. Stems sts lfy below, stout, grooved, up to 3 dm. long including narrow paniculate infl. c. 15 cm. long. Bracts us. many, lflike, up to c. 10 cm. long; sheaths ± 5cm. long; stipules up to 10 mm. long, unequal, acicular; lamina pinnate, c. 5 cm. long, segs pungent. Umbels several, on 5-10 unequal slender rays < bracts. Umbellules small, on short slender rays. Fr. c. 4-5 mm. long; mericarps with 3-5 wings.

Dist.: S. Higher montane to subalpine from lat. 41° to 42° 30´.

Cheeseman (III. N.Z. Fl. 1914, t. 61) gives an excellent figure of this most distinct sp.