Flora of New Zealand Series

Soft-wooded aromatic shrub to nearly 3 m high, densely clothed in glandular hairs. Young shoots and young lvs white-tomentose and with sessile glands, viscid. Petiole to c. 4 cm long. Lamina 6-20 × 4-13 cm, broad-ovate or elliptic-ovate, with abundant sessile glands beneath, fewer glands above when mature, ± dentate-serrate; base narrow-cuneate; apex ± rounded. Infl. racemose with remote whorls, sometimes with short lateral branches; rachis to c. 50 cm long, often purple; rachis, pedicels, bracts and calyx with viscid glands. Pedicels < bracts, 5 mm long, declinate; fls in whorls of 4-10. Calyx 5-8 mm long, accrescent; tube ± = limb, with long white hairs towards base; upper lip broad-ovate; lower 4 teeth lanceolate-subulate. Corolla 2-2.5 cm long, deep blue, ± hairy outside; tube ± = limb; upper lip ± erect, ovate, with lateral lobes small; lower lip longer, c. 1.5 cm long, horizontal to slanting downwards or deflexed, boat-shaped. Stamens declinate in lower lip, united below bend. Style exserted. Nutlets c. 1.7 mm diam., suborbicular, somewhat laterally compressed.

N.: Russell (Bay of Islands), Great Barrier Id, Pakuranga and near Northcote (Auckland).

Probably E. Africa 1988

Roadsides.

FL Jan-Dec.

P. grandis is cultivated in a few areas in the Auckland region and in other northern localities. It is closely related to, and has previously been included within, P. barbatus Andrews. Most cultivated N.Z. material is referable to P. grandis.