Flora of New Zealand Series

Ozothamnus microphyllus Hook. f. Fl. Antarct. 1, 1844, 134.

Type locality: "stony places, Wairau Pass, 4000'". Type: K, 35, near Nelson, Bidwill.

Depressed much-branched shrub occ. up to 5 dm. tall. Basal stems stout, branches with long-persistent lf-bases, final branchlets tomentose, c. 1-2 mm. diam. including lvs. Lvs imbricate, erect from appressed base, c. 2 mm. long, narrow-ovate, acute to obtuse, convex and bluntly keeled, concave below; dorsal surface tomentose, becoming glab. or nearly so; ventral surface densely clad in white to greyish woolly hairs. Capitula solitary, terminal, sessile, c. 1 cm. diam. Phyll. in 3 series, forming a turbinate involucre; outer short, tomentose; inner narrow-oblong, obtuse, scarious, stramineous to brownish. Florets 20-25, ♀ few; achenes 1-1·25 mm. long, compressed, pubescent; pappus-hairs subequal, up to 3 mm. long.

DIST.: S. Montane to lower subalpine rocky places; drainage basins of Wairau, Awatere and Clarence Rivers.