Dactylanthus taylorii Hook.f.
Type locality: "Wanganui, alt. 4000 ft., Rev. R. Taylor". Type: K.
Rhizome up to 30 cm. diam., ± globose, mostly below soil surface, at first lateral but always finally terminal on host root; fleshy and ± starchy within, surface dark brown, without lvs but covered with hard angular papillae; shoots ∞, unbranched, to 20 cm. long, c. 1 cm. diam., covered with brownish sessile imbricating scale lvs; lamina 5-15 mm. long tapering from base 5 mm. wide, entire, subacute, glab., larger, more membr, and redder above. Infl. a capitulum of 15-20 spadices on flat top of lfy shoot, 2-4 cm. diam. including involucre of scale lvs; spadix-axis erect, 2-2.5 cm. long, ± grooved, fls crowded on upper ⅔, more scattered and sts with bracts in lower ⅓; ♂ us. of single almost sessile stamen with 2 filamentous per.-segs, pollen whitish, abundant; ♀ with 2 us. unequal per.-segs, style > ovary. Fr. to 2 mm. long, red-brown.
DIST.: N., most abundant on Volcanic Plateau. In tall forest or marginal scrub, on rather wide range of host trees.
A characteristic smell is given off at flowering time, especially by the ♂. After boiling in water all the rhizome and the bark can be removed, leaving the wood of the host root in the form of a fluted disk commonly known as a "wooden rose". Cheeseman (Ill. N.Z. Fl. 2, 1914, t. 178) gives further information, and structure and life-history are described in detail by Moore (N.Z. J. Sci. Tech. 21, 1940, 206-224B).
