Flora of New Zealand Series

Perennial herb, often forming a ± prostrate mat, with thick, usually branched taproot and woody caulorrhiza covered with very persistent stipules and petioles. Stems short or 0. Petioles to 10 cm long, slender, densely covered in retrorse hairs. Lamina 1-2-(3) cm diam., broadly reniform to orbicular, lobed to 1/2-3/4 way to midrib; lobes (3)-5-7, green, bronze or purplish green above; hairs variable, sometimes very sparse; secondary lobes shallow, ± mucronulate. Fls solitary; peduncle to 3 cm long including pedicel, often very short, densely covered in retrorse hairs; bracteoles linear-subulate, brown. Sepals 4-7 × 1.5-2.5 mm, elliptic or nearly so, with long, white, spreading hairs; apex cuspidate. Petals 5-7 × 1-3 mm, narrow-elliptic to oblong or obovate, white, often slightly > sepals. Mericarps 2-3 mm long, ± hirsute; beak 8-10 mm long. Seed 1.5-2 mm long, oblong, almost smooth with very shallow alveolae.

N.: Waikato southwards; S.: widespread ( var. novaezelandiae), southern areas; St.: ( var. arenarium Simpson et J. Thomson).

Endemic.

Lowland to alpine short grassland, rocky and open ground, forest margins and modified habitats ( var. novaezelandiae), coastal sand dunes ( var. arenarium).

FL Oct-Apr.

Allan (1961) distinguished within N.Z. var. glabrum Kunth, var. maculatum Simpson et J. Thomson, and var. arenarium Simpson et J. Thomson. The first 2 of these vars are not accepted here. Carolin, R. C., Proc. Linn. Soc. New S. Wales 89: 356-357 (1964), described 3 subspp. of G. sessiliflorum, 1 of which, subsp. novaezelandiae Carolin, is endemic to N.Z. Within subsp. novaezelandiae there are 2 vars, var. arenarium and var. novaezelandiae. Of the other 2 subspp., 1 is confined to S. America and the other to Australia.