Colobanthus monticola Petrie
Type locality: "Rocky faces of Sealey Range, Mt. Cook District, 5500 ft." Type: W, "Sealey Range, Mt. Cook, c. 5000 ft. 19.2.1911", Petrie. Endemic.
Plant several cm. across, forming cushion 2-4 cm. deep; branches many and close, up to 4 cm. long, lfy throughout length. Lvs closely spaced but spreading, sheath short but obvious, blade linear-subulate, c. 5 mm. long, without midrib but with strongly thickened margins running into short acicular tip. Peduncles short, sts elongating to exceed lvs in fr. Sepals 4, c. 3 mm. long, linear-subulate, bordered strongly near short acicular tip; stamens short; styles short; capsule splitting almost to base into 4 broad lobes that often exceed sepals when mature.
DIST.: S. Mountains from Mt. Cook southwards.
FL. 12-1. FT. 2-4.