Flora of New Zealand Series

Azorella nitens Petrie in T.N.Z.I. 25, 1893, 270.

Type locality: Sandy shores of L. Te Anau. Type: W, 2128, Petrie Herb., D, Petrie.

Glab. herb with filiform branching and interlacing stems (often subterranean), forming small patches. Lvs few, on filiform petioles up to c. 5 cm. long, slightly thickened towards lamina. Lamina 3-(2)-partite to base, or 3-2-foliolate, up to c. 7 mm. diam.; 1flts us. sessile, narrowly obovate-cuneate, obtuse or acute, (2)-3-4-(5) × 1-2-(3) mm.; entire, or occ. rather obscurely 2-3-toothed, glossy; margins slightly thickened and recurved. Peduncles us. > petioles, up to c. 2 cm. long, with narrow ovate-oblong bracts near middle. Umbels (1)-2-3-5)-fld, occ. with minute secondary umbels; involucral bracts linear to narrow-oblong, acute to subacute. Fr. < 2 mm. long, tetragonous, turgid, = pedicel length. Mericarps indistinctly 5-ribbed, rounded on dorsal edge, turgid.

DIST.; N., S. Lowland to montane very wet grassland, shallow water and boggy places from c. lat. 40º 30' to 45º 30'. FL-T. 12-1.