Flora of New Zealand Series

creeping cudweed

Stoloniferous perennial; stems 1-few, usually ascending, sometimes erect, simple, 3-15-(30) cm tall. Lvs basal and cauline at flowering; basal lvs short-petiolate, densely white-tomentose on lower surface sometimes including mid-vein, sparsely to moderately tomentose on upper, plane, narrow-obovate to oblanceolate, long-cuneate, acute, mucronate, (8)-30-50-(100) × 4-10-(13) mm; cauline lvs scarcely reduced upwards, often oblanceolate or oblong, apetiolate and cuneate or broad-based. Capitula 1.5-2 mm diam., 10-numerous, in dense ± globular terminal clusters only; longest subtending lvs 1-2× diam. of cluster. Involucral bracts oblong to narrowly obovate-oblong, obtuse, 3.5-4.5 mm long; stereome green, often tinged reddish purple toward apex; lamina mid to dark brown; gap and margins clear or tinged pale reddish purple. Achenes minutely papillate, c. 0.7 mm long.

N.; S.; St.; Ch.: from Volcanic Plateau southwards, lowland to subalpine.

Endemic.

Forest margins and clearings, especially damp sites, scrubland, grassland, disturbed areas, stream sides, coastal sites in southern part of range.

This entity was treated by Allan (1961) within his concept of G. collinum Labill., and by Drury (1972, op. cit.) as G. audax subsp. ruahinicum. G. ruahinicum is accepted here at specific rank; it is usually distinguished from G. audax by the narrower, more acute basal lvs, more leafy stems, longer lvs subtending the infl., and the darker brown bract lamina. Although there is usually no difficulty in separating these 2 spp., plants from W. South Id, and Stewart Id are not always easily assigned to one or other sp.