Flora of New Zealand Series

A. officinalis auct. non  L. Sp. Pl. 1753, 110.

A. marina (Forsk.) Vierh. var. resinifera (Forst. f.) Bakh. in Bull. Jard. bot. Buitenz. Sér. 3, 3, 1921.

Type: P ? I found no Forster material at K.

Small tree up to c. 8 m. tall (reduced to a shrub in southern part of range). Lateral roots spreading widely, emitting ∞ stout, erect "breathing" roots. Bark grey, furrowed; branches stout, spreading; branchlets pubescent. Lvs on narrowly winged petioles up to c. 1 cm. long. Lamina glab. above, densely clad in white to buff appressed tomentum below, coriac., ± 5-10 × 2-4 cm., ovate to elliptic-oblong, acute to subacute, sts mucronate; margins slightly recurved. Cymes contracted into small 4-8-fld heads on erect angled pubescent peduncles ± 2 cm. long. Fls c. 6-7 mm. diam.; calyx-lobes ovate-oblong, ± pilose; corolla-lobes coriac., ovate, silky-hairy. Capsule ± 2 cm. diam., ovoid.

DIST.: N. Tidal creeks and estuarine waters from near North Cape to lat. 38°, in mangrove swamps. Manawa.

FL. 2-4. Fr. develops slowly ripening in January.