Flora of New Zealand Series

Gnaphalium (Helichrysum) sinclairii Hook f. Handbk N.Z. Fl. 1864, 153.

Type locality: Upper Awatere. Type: K, Sinclair.

Perennial subshrub up to ± 4 dm. tall, much-branched from stout woody stock. Main branches c. 3 mm. diam. at woody base, clad in sub-appressed to floccose white tomentum, becoming glab. Branchlets slender, spreading to ascending, densely white-tomentose, terminated by cymose close clusters of capitula. Lvs imbricate, c. 6-10 × 2 mm., spreading from sheathing base, lanceolate- to obovate-spathulate, obtuse, hardly diminishing in size to base of infl., densely clad on both surfaces in white felted tomentum. Capitula c. 6 × 4 mm., in clusters of c. 25 forming a head 1·5-2 cm. diam. Pedicels short, stout, bracts us. aristate. Phyll. ∞, in several series; outer with floccose tomentum on back near hardened base, acute to aristate; inner less hairy, c. 4 mm. long, oblong, with white erect to subradiate tips. Achenes fusiform, hardly 1 mm. long, glab. or nearly so; pappus-hairs c. 3 mm. long, thickened and papillose at tips, minutely scaberulous at base.

DIST.: S. Common in rock-crevices, especially near streams, montane to subalpine, in drainage areas of upper Awatere and upper Clarence Rivers.

FL. 10-12. FT. 11-2.