Flora of New Zealand Series

Herb with procumbent or creeping slender stems; branches ∞, closeset, often intertangled, up to ± 2 dm. long, ± clad in jointed glandular hairs, ascending at tips. Lvs sessile or nearly so, ± 4-7 × 2-5 mm., oblong to obovate to suborbicular, obtuse, ± obtusely toothed, glab. or glandular-pilose. Fls few, very shortly peduncled in upper lf-axils. Calyx glandular-pilose, 3-4 mm. long, lobes sts toothed. Corolla (6)-8-12 mm. long, white to yellowish, us. with ∞ pink veins, throat yellowish, lobes short, obtuse. Anthers connivent, cells parallel; staminodes filiform, long.

DIST.: N., S. Boggy ground and swamp margins, coastal and lowland throughout, but rather local.

FL.- FT. 11-2.

Hooker (Fl. N.Z. 1, 1854, 189), basing his view on specimens collected by R. Cunningham at the Bay of Islands, records G. pubescens R. Br. Prodr. 435, remarking: "A smaller plant than G. sexdentata, and puberulous, but not uniformly or constantly so: I find no other difference between these two. Mr. Bentham observes that this entirely resembles G. Peruviana, except in the long sterile filaments. G. pubescens is an Australian and Tasmanian plant."

G. concinna Col. in T.N.Z.I. 19, 1887, 264 was described from plants collected from "Edges of a swamp in forest, south bank of the River Mangatawhainui, near Norsewood, County of Waipawa, where it thickly covers the ground in large spreading patches, presenting a very pleasing and neat appearance; March, 1886: W.C. I have not noticed it anywhere else." The description includes: "Plant procumbent, creeping, matted, sub-ascending. Stems 7-10 inches long, stout, purple-spotted, simple or slightly branched, puberulous with long white flattish-jointed glandular hairs. Leaves distant, sub 1/2-inch apart, orbicular and orbicular-elliptic, 2 lines long, membranaceous . . . Calyx coloured, hairy, leafy, 5-parted to base . . . Corolla 4 lines long, white, somewhat hairy. Capsule suborbicular, turgid."