Flora of New Zealand Series

corn salad

Annual herb. Stems ascending to erect, much-branched, 8-20 cm long, sparsely to moderately hairy, especially below, the hairs usually in lines. Lvs basal and cauline or just cauline; lower lvs almost glabrous or sparsely hairy, especially on margins near base and veins, apetiolate and cuneate, spathulate to narrowly elliptic-obovate, obtuse, entire or sinuate, 20-60 × 5-15 mm; upper lvs becoming smaller, oblong-elliptic to narrow-oblong, broader based. Bracts subulate to ovate-triangular, ciliate, 2-4 mm long. Corolla c. 2 mm long, c. 1 mm diam., pale blue or lilac. Fr. oblong to oblong-obovoid, ± 4-angled, glabrous or microscopically hairy, c. 2 × 0.8-1.2 mm; fertile loculus slightly thickened and convex on back, with 1 slender rib; 2 sterile loculi not thickened, forming 2 prominent ribs separated by an oblong groove; calyx not developed.

N.: locally established in vicinity of Auckland City, collected once S. of Port Waikato; S.: Akaroa.

Europe, W. Asia, N. Africa 1968

Waste places, often coastal.

FL Oct-Dec.

V. carinata is vegetatively very similar to V. locusta, but is easily distinguished by the mature fr. (Fig. 120). This sp. became established in N.Z. more recently than did V. locusta and early collections were not distinguished from V. locusta. Allan's (1940) record of V. locusta from Akaroa is probably based on misidentification of V. carinata.