Flora of New Zealand Series

Flowers in fascicles of 2-7; tepals 6-9 mm long.

N. North Auckland - Tokerau Beach, Whangarei; Auckland - Auckland City, Thames, lower Waikato River; Wellington - Wairarapa, Wellington City. S. Nelson; Canterbury; Central Otago. (Europe, N. Africa, N. America)

First record: Healy 1968: 295.

First collection: There are a number of obviously early collections at WELT but all are undated i.e. Auckland, T. Kirk (WELT 12927); Auckland, Colonel Hamilton (WELT 12925); Wellington, T. Kirk (WELT 12946); Wellington (WELT 12932) and Wairarapa (WELT 12935) both labelled in Buchanan' s hand; and Upper Waimakariri, J. D. Enys (WELT 12926). The earliest dated specimen is "Whangarei, on margin of tidal creek", H. Carse 483/3, 5.11.1898 (CHR 291477).

Two specimens (determined as var. bufonius) from Foxton Beach (CHR 23759,CHR 123220) approach var. congestus in having flowers in small clusters as well as solitary, but these flowers are shorter than those of  var. congestus.