Flora of New Zealand Series

Slender annual to perennial herb. Stems prostrate, ascending, terete, glabrous, 5-10-(40) cm long. Lvs yellowish green; marginal vein distinct; lamina glabrous, sometimes ± fleshy, ovate, rarely lanceolate (narrow-lanceolate in var. angustata), apiculate to acuminate, cuneate to truncate at base, (3)-5-10-(20) × (1)-4-8-(16) mm; petiole < or = lamina, glabrous or ciliate. Infl. 1-(2)-flowered. Bracts scarious, lanceolate to ovate, c. 1 mm long. Pedicels ascending, to 15 mm. Sepals narrow-lanceolate, acute, 2-3 mm long, not veined or faintly 1-3-veined, glabrous or sparsely ciliate near base; margin scarious. Petals much < sepals or 0. Stamens 5-10. Capsule ovoid, = or slightly > calyx. Seeds dark reddish brown, c. 1 mm long; papillae finger-like, longer than broad.

Ant., A., C., M.

Endemic.

Forest clearings, grassy places, flushes, crevices in cliffs.

Allan (1961) distinguished S. decipiens from S. parviflora on sepal length and seed morphology. However, both spp. have sepals 2-3-(3.5) mm long. Wilson, H. D., Vegetation of Stewart Island, New Zealand (1988), discussed the difficulties of delimiting S. decipiens and S. parviflora in southern N.Z. He united both spp. under the earlier name, S. decipiens. Plants of S. decipiens from Antipodes Is with linear-lanceolate, acute to acuminate lvs have been called var. angustata Kirk.