Flora of New Zealand Series

Epacris fasciculata Forst. f. Prodr. 1786, 13.

Leucopogon fasciculatus A. Rich. Essai Fl. N.Z. 1832. 215.

L. brevibarbis Stchegl. in Bull. Soc. Nat. Mosc. 32, 1859, 14.

Type: There is a Forster specimen at K.

Rather laxly branched spreading shrub up to c. 5 m. tall, varying in habit according to exposure; branches slender, bark black; branchlets pubescent, bark brownish. Lvs coriac., flat, patent; petioles obsolete. Lamina glab., green above, paler below; linear to narrow-lanceolate or linear-oblong, narrowed to base; ± 12-25 × 2-4 mm.; nerves 3-7, margins minutely ciliolate, denticulate; acute to acuminate, subpungent, rarely obtuse. Infl. of 6-12-fld axillary and terminal drooping racemes or spikes ± 1-3 cm. long. Bracts obtuse, ciliolate, appressed. Fls 3-4 mm. long; calyx ciliolate, lobes oblong to ovate-triangular, c. 2 mm. long. Corolla greenish white, tube slightly > calyx; lobes ovate-triangular acute to obtuse, ± hirsute to subglab. on upper surface. Fr. oblong in outline, 2-4 mm. long, red or rarely whitish; locules 2'-3.

DIST.: Three Kings, N., S. Coastal to lower montane shrubland, light forest, rocky places from near North Cape to c. lat. 44º. Mingimingi.

FL. 8-12. Ft. 9-3. Type locality:?

Juvenile plants have lvs 4-6 cm. × 6-10 mm., apiculate, lanceolate to oblanceolate to narrow. Elliptic--all forms may appear on a single plant. Cockayne (N.Z. Plants and their Story, ed. 2, 1919, 199-201) describes and illustrates two distinct juvenile forms: "Yet, in the Auckland Botanical District the shrub passes through a distinct juvenile form with leaves much broader than those of the adult . . . a form, too which persists for a number of years. Farther south both juvenile and adult have the narrow leaves."

Stchegleev (loc. cit.) based his L. brevibarbis on specimens collected. "Prope Wellington; Ralph No. 11". His diagnosis includes: "L. ramulis pubescenti-tomentosis; foliis . . . stellatopubentibus . . . utrinque glaucis viridibus . . . spicis in apice ramulorum solitariis binisve sub-elongatis . . . bracteis calyce plus duplo brevioribus . . . calycibus obtusis glabris subcoloratis . . . floribus parvis et. limbo breviter limbo breviter et laxe barbato." I have not seen specimens.

Colenso (T.N.Z.I. 20, 1898, 198) described his Leucopogon heterophyllus from specimens collected "'On the arid lava flow, among scoria, etc., altitude, 3,000 to 4,000 feet ' western slopes of Mount Tongariro . . . 1897; Mr. H. Hill." His description includes: "Plants low, shrubby diffuse, spreading, much branched; branches slender, erect, 4-8 inches high, leafy; young ones pubescent. Leaves imbricate, small, 1-11/2 lines long, of various shapes and sizes-oblong, narrow-oblong, ovate, and elliptic; tips thickened and very obtuse . . . Flowers few (seen), small, terminal, solitary, sessile . . . Corolla tubular, 2 lines long, red, glabrous on the outside; lobes . . . densely bearded within with white wool . . . Drupe globular . . . 2 lines diameter, dark-pink-red". The status remains uncertain.