Flora of New Zealand Series

S. robustus Buchan. in T.N.Z.I. 6, 1874, 243, t. 22, f. 1 non Sch. Bip. in Flora 28, 1845, 50.

Type locality: Mount Eglinton, J. Morton. Type: not located.

Depressed to suberect shrub, occ. up to 5 dm. tall; main branches decumbent at base; branchlets erect or ascending, densely lfy, ending in erect stout peduncles c. 5 mm. diam., up to 10 cm. long, clad in linear-oblong foliaceous bracts, terminated by subcorymbose infl. Lf-laminae 3-6×2-3 cm., coriac., about elliptic-oblong, obtuse, glab. and rugose above, below clad in pale buff to white appressed viscid tomentum; midrib distinct, margins slightly revolute, crenately sinuate; petioles 1-2 cm. long, flattened, tomentose, widened to a persistent sheathing base. Capitula 5-15, up to 2 cm. diam., closely arranged on tomentose rather stout pedicels; phyll. linear, acute, tomentose and viscid on back. Ray-florets 10-15, ligules yellow, broad, recurved; achenes 3 mm. long, oblong, subcompressed, glab., strongly grooved; pappus-hairs up to 6 mm. long, finely barbellate.

DIST.: S. Western Otago, western Southland and Fiordland from lat. 44° 30' southwards; montane to subalpine shrubland and fellfield.

FL. 1-3.