Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Sphaerophoron complanatum Hook.f. & Taylor, Lond. J. Bot. 3: 654 (1844).

Description : Flora (1985: 523).

Chemistry : Cortex K+ yellowish, C−, KC−, Pd−, UV−; medulla K+ yellowish, C+ green, KC−, Pd−, UV−; containing porphyrilic acid, methyl porphyrilate, ±porphyrilin (tr.).

S: Nelson (Mt Augustus, Denniston Plateau) southwards down mountains of West Coast to Fiordland (Dusky Sound), reaching eastwards to the Main Divide at Harris Saddle. St: (Glory Cove Paterson Inlet, Mt Anglem, Mt Allen, Tin Ra., Deceit Peaks, Bald Cone Port Pegasus). A subalpine species characteristic of very damp, often inundated soils, a common "mud-puddle" species of peat bogs or wet soils, fringing shallow tarns and puddles or ±immersed within them, in high-rainfall areas. Known also from southern South America and Tasmania (Bratt 1972, 1976a, 1976b; Kantvilas 1994b, 1996c, 2002a; Galloway & Quilhot 1999; McCarthy 2003c, 2006).

Austral

Illustrations : Santesson (1968: 179, fig. 3C); Martin & Child (1972: 169, pl. 50 – as Siphula sp.); Kantvilas (1996c: 9, fig.1; 11, fig. 2).

Siphula complanata is characterised by: the terricolous habit; the narrow, strap-like lobes; the smooth, fawn-brown colour; and the characteristic chemistry. It is distinguished from the closely related S. georginae by the chemistry and by the colour of the lobes (in S. georginae lobes are pale and somewhat greyish). The current name for this taxon is Parasiphula complanata (Hook.f. & Taylor) Kantvilas & Grube & Kantvilas 2006: 246).