Flora of New Zealand Series

Very small, pilose, yellowish green herb, branched near base, 8-20-(30) mm high, ± decumbent to erect, sometimes almost stemless; stems slender, sparsely pilose; internodes visible or sometimes compacted and hidden by stipules and lvs. Lvs cauline, often much-reduced above; petiole 1-2 mm long and winged; blade up to 5 × 2-5 mm, 3-partite with each segment narrowly flabellate and deeply divided into 1-3, oblong, subacute lobes, with scattered hairs on both surfaces; stipules prominent, 3-4 mm long, adnate to petiole, divided into several triangular to lanceolate lobes. Infl. axillary, of small cymes, ± sessile, just projecting above investing stipules; fls usually ± sessile. Fr. 1.6-2 mm long; hypanthium ± cylindric, slightly flattened, usually not narrowed, rarely slightly narrowed below lobes, reddish brown, ribbed, with very short hairs; calyx teeth 0.5-0.7 mm long, triangular, ± spreading, glabrous or almost glabrous except for long marginal hairs; epicalyx usually minute, sometimes 0.

N.: Wellington City; S.: Marlborough (Awatere Valley), Canterbury (Banks Peninsula, near Christchurch, Kaitorete Spit), Otago (Cromwell area, Earnscleugh).

S.E. Australia 1988

Modified or depleted tussock grassland or pasture, dry flats, slopes and stony areas, locally common.

FL Sep-Nov.

Frs of N.Z. specimens have shorter, broader calyx teeth than some forms in Australia, but match well the fr. of A. australiana sens. strict. illustrated by Rothmaler, W., Feddes Repert. 57: 307-315 (1955). This sp. is easily distinguished in N.Z. when fresh by the teeth of the mature fr. which are spreading and glabrous except for the marginal hairs (Fig. 98). It occurs only locally and has been identified only recently, but has been present in N.Z. since the late 19th century. It has previously usually been confused with A. arvensis.