Flora of New Zealand Series

Type locality: Mount Tongariro. Type: K, Bidwill.

Stout herb with simple to multicipital stock, sts with offset tufts from rhizomes, forming large patches; If-sheaths erect, densely imbricate and compacted forming a pseudo-stem. Lamina us. very coriac., ± (5)-10-15-(25) × 1-2.5 cm., ovate- to lanceolate-oblong to narrow-oblong in different forms. Upper surface glab., ± shining, sulcate, deep to pale green, midrib us. distinct; lower densely clad in fulvous to pale buff or occ. white soft felted tomentum; midrib distinct in basal half; obtuse to subacute, us. apiculate; margins entire, slightly recurved, or obscurely remotely crenate-dentate. Petiole hardly differentiated, rather thin, midrib and veins us. evident. Sheath softly laxly clad in deciduous ascending ± floccose white hairs, becoming glab. or nearly so, 10-25-(40) × 15-20 mm. Scape densely clad in white floccose hairs, stout, up to ± 25 cm. long; bracts mostly in upper half of scape, narrow-linear, clad in white floccose hairs, lamina up to 3-4 cm. long. Capitula linear-subulate, ± 3-5 cm. diam.; phyll. linear-subulate, up to 15 mm. long, glab. and indurated in basal third, upper portion densely clad without in white floccose hairs. Ray-florets ∞, ± 2 cm. long, tube slender, limb narrow-obovate to narrow-oblong. Disk-florets ∞, funnel-form, 7-9 mm. long; tube sts with scattered short hairs, teeth broad- to narrow-triangular. Achenes slender, cylindric, grooved, c. 5 mm. long, glab. or nearly so. Pappus-hairs white, up to ± 7 mm. long, distinctly barbellate.

DIST.: N., S. Montane to subalpine grassland, herbfield, occ. in fellfield from c. lat. 38° southwards.

The type sheet contains 3 rosettes in good order, with flowering scapes; lamina ± 11 cm. long.