Flora of New Zealand Series

Glabrous, erect annual with stems usually to 25-(40) cm tall, sometimes much-branched. Lvs mostly cauline, not forming well-defined and persistent rosettes, 5-30 × 2-12 mm, oblong-elliptic, ovate to narrow-lanceolate, 3-veined; apex obtuse or acute. Infl. a fairly dense dichasial cyme. Fls subsessile or shortly pedicellate. Main bracts linear or oblong-lanceolate, 5-15 mm long. Calyx 5-7 mm long; lobes narrow-linear, < corolla tube. Corolla 7-12 mm long; tube narrow-cylindric, white, rose towards apex; lobes c. 3 × 1-2 mm, oblong or narrow-lanceolate, patent, rose, acute. Capsule 7-10 mm long, fusiform. Seed alveolate, minute.

N.: Auckland, Bay of Plenty (Opotiki area), and near Wellington (Palliser Bay); S.: Marlborough (D'Urville Id), Canterbury (Lake Ellesmere and Banks Peninsula).

W. and S. Europe 1946

Pastures, especially poor open and stony sites, coastal areas.

FL Dec-Aug.

C. tenuiflorum may be more widespread than the above distribution indicates as it is often confused with C. erythraea. In addition to the characters in the key, C. tenuiflorum is distinguished by having a less corymbose infl., usually with more fls. C. tenuiflorum has also been known as C. exaltatum and Erythraea centaurium var. tenella in N.Z.