Celmisia du-rietzii
Type locality: Arthur Pass. Type: BD 9376, W. Martin, March 1921.
Robust subshrub with stout simple to multicipital stock; branches ± arcuate, clad in imbricate If-remains; living Ivs rosulate, spreading, at tips of branchlets. Lamina ± 3-6 cm. × 7-10 mm., narrow- to ellipticobovate to subspathulate (diverse forms often on same plant), subcoriac.; upper surface glab., us. with deciduous pellicle when young (in some forms clad in soft white tomentum); lower densely clad in white appressed silky soft hairs, midrib evident; apex obtuse to subacute; margins minutely obscurely denticulate, gradually narrowed to rather slender petiole up to ± 3 cm. long. Sheath translucent, glab., ± 2.5 cm × 5 mm., longitudinal veins prominent. Scape stiff, rather stout, finely ribbed, glab. or nearly so, ± 20 cm. long; lower bracts tomentose below, up to c. 3 cm. long (lowest sts wholly lflike), upper less hairy below, midrib evident. Capitula 3-4 cm. diam.; phyll. ∞, ± reflexed, glandular-pubescent, up to 12 mm. long, linear, subcoriac., midrib distinct, margins pilose, apical part with tuft of floccose hairs. Rayflorets c. 15 mm. long, tube almost filiform, limb narrow-obovate, c. 3 mm. broad. Disk-florets ∞, slender, tubular, only slightly flaring, 6-7 mm. long, teeth minute, narrow-triangular. Achenes narrow-cylindric, ± 5-6 mm. long, densely clad in fine silky subappressed hairs. Pappus-hairs very slender, white, up to c. 7 mm. long, hardly barbellate.
DIST.: S., St. Montane to subalpine grassland, herbfield, from c. lat. 41° southwards.
As Martin (loc. cit.) remarks: "This is a compound species comprising numerous jordanons, and ranges throughout the full length of the South Island. It seems certain that in any subsequent revision of the genus this species will be sub-divided into a number of smaller groups each with specific or varietal rank. At present it includes by far the greater number of forms previously listed as C. Sinclairii." Adequate information is not yet available for such a division.
