Flora of New Zealand Series

D. rosmarinifolium auct. non  R. Br. Prodr. 1810, 556 non

Epacris rosmarinifolia Forst. f. Prodr 1786, 13.

Type locality: Blimit Mount, above Arthur Pass. Type: W, W. R. B. Oliver.

Prostrate to trailing rather rigid shrub, branches stiff, bark blackish; branchlets short, bark reddish brown to dark brown. Lvs not long-persistent, aggregated towards tips of branchlets; sheath 2-3-(4) × 1-2 mm., membr., rather abruptly narrowed to coriac., lamina ± 5-12 × c. 1 mm., gradually tapering from base to obtuse or subacute thickened apex; margins very minutely serrulate. Fls solitary, terminal on lateral branchlets, not hidden by lvs. Lower bracts lflike, up to c. 5 mm. long. Sepals acuminate, = corolla-tube. Corolla-tube c. 4 mm. long, subcampanulate; lobes white, ovate-oblong, 1-2 mm. long, very obtuse, reflexed. Capsule 2-2.5 mm. long.

DIST.: S. Higher montane to subalpine shrubland, herbfield, fellfield throughout, mainly east of divide.

Oliver (loc. cit. 1929, 687) points out that this sp. is plastic: exposed plants of high altitudes much depressed, lvs us. not > 5-6 mm. long in short apical tufts; plants or shrubland taller, more open, lvs c. 10-12 mm. long; plants of bogs scrambling, sparingly branched.