Flora of New Zealand Series

Type locality: "Wet ground near the Keri-Keri river, Bay of Islands". Type: K, R. Cunningham, 1834.

Patches upto ± 4 dm. diam.; stems elongate, often sprawling; ± clad in patent soft hairs. Lvs on pilose petioles upto c. 10 cm. long. Lamina 1-2-3 cm. diam., ± pilose; sinus, deep, narrow, ± parallel-sided, lobed to ± ⅔ way; lobes (3)-5-(8), again lobulate, acutely dentately toothed. Umbels (10)-20-30-fld, ± 15 mm. diam., on very slender us. pilose peduncles up to 15 cm. long. Fls ± 5 × 3 mm., on capillary rays c. 5 mm. long. Fr. (1·5)-2-(4) mm. diam., brownish, pubescent or almost bristly. Mericarps acute on dorsal edge, with 1 us. distinct rib on each face.

Dist.: N., S. Coastal to lowland and lower montane open forest and margins, and open places throughout.

FL. 11-3. FT. 12-4.

Readily separable from the other N.Z., spp., but somewhat polymorphic. Cunningham (loc. cit.) gives the description: " tota villis densis patentibus, foliis longe petiolatis reniformibus quinquelobis, lobis divaricatis cuneiformibus retusis incisis, incisuris tridentatis, umbellis pedunculatis multifloris, mericarpiis utrinque 1-costatis, pedunculis petiolo quater longioribus, caule debili repente."

Colenso's H. concinna (T.N.Z.I. 17, 1885, 239) was based on specimens gathered "In dense rather dry forests, on the ground. Seventy-mile Bush, County of Waipawa; 1883-84; W.C. Flowering in March and April." His description includes: "Umbels 20-22-flowered . . . on long glabrous pedicels sub 2 lines long . . . Fruit orbicular at first semi-transparent, echinate, light brown, carpels with one rib on each face." There is a good specimen in W labelled (not by Colenso) "Matamau, H.B. Type of H. concinna Col." This answers Colenso's description well, except that the fr. is at most echinulate. Comparison with good material from the type locality is needed before the status can be determined.

Colenso's H. echinella (T.N.Z.I. 20, 1888, 191) was based on a specimen (now apparently lost) gathered "Among herbage, woody glen, base of Mount Tongariro . . . 1887: Mr. H. Hill". Colenso's description includes: "Stems (and peduncles) compressed flat . . . Peduncles very much longer than leaves, very slender, flexuous, weak, 3 inches long; pedicels sub-20, 1 1/2 lines long, slender, patent . . . Fruit small, orbicular, sub 1/2 line diameter, turgid, slightly cordate at base, brownish, densely echinate; carpels with one prominent rib on each face, the back edge obtuse and partly concealed with the echinate hairs." Colenso had "but one imperfect specimen without flowers, and that not in very good condition," Kirk (Stud. Fl. 1899, 187) treats it as a var. of H. elongata with the diagnosis: "Margins of the sinus often sharply toothed. Carpels sparingly pubescent or almost bristly; sometimes the pubescence is confined to the carpellary rib." He gives no localities, nor does there appear to be a specimen in W.