Flora of New Zealand Series

Australian hydrocotyle

Rhizomatous and stoloniferous perennial, forming small to large patches; stems glabrous, slender. Lvs 3-foliolate; leaflets sessile, shiny green, glabrous to sparsely pilose above, usually moderately pilose below, rarely glabrous, broadly obovate-cuneate, 2-6 mm long, with 1-3 lobes and each lobe with 1-4 shallow, dentate teeth; teeth with a small cartilaginous point; petiole with a few retrorse hairs near blade, otherwise glabrous, slender, (3)-10-30-(50) mm long; stipules scale-like. Umbels simple, (1)-2-10-(12)-flowered; bracts scale-like, free or shortly fused; peduncles somewhat < lvs. Fls subsessile, c. 1-2 mm diam. Fr. glabrous, brown, 0.8-1.2 × 0.8-1.2 mm, acute on dorsal edge; ribs raised, slender, prominent.

N.: well established in Auckland, also collected from Hamilton, Orewa and Kaitaia.

E. Australia 1982

Lawns, waste places.

FL Dec-Jan.

The earliest known collection is from St Heliers, Auckland City, 1971, but the sp. is well established in Auckland and may have been there much earlier. Until recently H. tripartita has been confused with the 2 native 3-foliolate spp., H. hydrophila and H. sulcata, but can be easily distinguished by the usually hairy leaflets, dentate lf-teeth and prominently ribbed mericarps.