Flora of New Zealand Series

Ozothamnus coralloides Hook. f. Fl. N. Z. 2, 1855, 332.

Type locality: Seaward Kaikoura Mountains. Type: K, McDonald (Macrae's shepherd).

Depressed shrub occ. up to 6 dm. tall, with stout main stem; branches stout, with long-persistent lvs; branchlets close-set, tomentose, 7·5-10 mm. diam. including lvs. Lvs of juvenile plants and on reversion shoots spathulate, spreading from an appressed base, up to 15 mm. long, densely clad in loose white woolly tomentum. Lvs of adults closely imbricate, oblong-obtuse, obscurely keeled, c. 5 × 2.5 mm., scarious below; upper half coriac., glab. and convex on dorsal surface; ventral surface concave and densely clad in long tangled floccose white hairs; margins revolute, apex cucullate. Capitula solitary, terminal, sessile, 6 mm. diam.; phyll. in 3 series, linear-oblong, thickened at base, scarious at tips and on margins, spreading. Florets 20-40, ♀ few; achenes c. 1·5 mm. long, linear, compressed, pubescent; pappus-hairs rather stout, slightly thickened at apex.

DIST.: S. Montane to subalpine rocky places east of divide from lat. 42° to 42° 30'.

HYBRIDISM

There is good field evidence for a considerable degree of hybridism, but how far certain "intermediates" are true-breeding vars of recognized spp. has not been fully determined.

1. Hybrids within section Xerochlaena. H. filicaule and H. bellidioides, especially the latter, are polymorphic and hybridism between the two is suspected rather than established.

2. Hybrids between Xerochlaena and Ozothamnus. H. purdiei Petrie in T.N.Z.I. 22, 1890, 440 was described from specimens gathered near Dunedin. Since then specimens closely resembling the type material have been collected in several localities where H. bellidioides meets with H. glomeratum. The plants are prostrate to lianoid, showing characters that leave little doubt that they are derived from the crossing of the 2 spp. indicated. Similar hybrids have been met with where H. filicaule grows in company with H. glomeratum.

A few plants, apparently the sterile progeny of H. bellidioides × microphyllum, have been met with at Ghost Creek, Mount Torlesse.

3. Hybrids within section Ozothamnus. H. coralloides, H. depressum, H. microphyllum and H. selago are not infrequently found in rather close proximity, and a remarkable range of forms may be met with, notably in the mountains near Hanmer, forming a linking series. H. selago var. tuberculata Cheesem. Man. N.Z. Fl. 1925, 985, based on plants collected in the Wairau Gorge, Nelson (A, 10264, T. F. Cheeseman), is quite intermediate between H. coralloides and H. selago, also found there. It must be noted, however, that the complex of forms of this group has not been closely studied.

4. Intergeneric hybrids. H. fowerakeri Ckn. in T.N.Z.I. 48, 1916, 196 was based on a single plant of which the type specimen is BD 8660 "Herb. L. Cockayne No. 4626. Rock, Robinson Creek, Inland Kaikoura Mts. Coll. L.C. Jan. 1912". Cockayne suggested the origin Ewartia sinclairii × Helichrysum bellidioides, a view supported by the combination of characters shown. No further specimens have been found in the Robinson Creek, a tributary of the Upper Awatere, but both the suspected parents occur there. A robust plant collected by G. Simpson at the upper Dee River, inner Clarence basin (BD 87682) may be of the same origin. The infls range from the solitary capitula of H. bellidioides to the dense corymbs of Ewartia sinclairii, and lvs are of intermediate form.

A solitary plant apparently derived from the crossing of H. depressum and Raoulia tenuicaulis was collected on fine morainic material near Ball Hut, Mount Cook; it grows vigorously in gardens and flowers, but apparently sets no viable seed. Germination has twice been tried by H. H. Allan.

W. B. Brockie (N.Z. Gardener Oct. 1, 1956, 88) figures H. dimorphum × Raoulia glabra.

H. pauciflorum Kirk in T.N.Z.I. 27, 1895, 351 is discussed under Leucogenes.