Flora of New Zealand Series

Shawia paniculata J. R. et G. Forst. Char. Gen. Pl. 1776, 95, t. 48.

Eurybia forsteri Hook. f. Fl. N.Z. 1, 1853, 119.

Olearia forsteri Hook. f. Handbk N.Z. Fl. 1864, 127.

Type locality: Queen Charlotte Sound. Type: P?

Shrub or tree up to 6 m. tall; branchlets grooved, angular, tomentose. Lvs 3-10 × 2-4 cm. including petiole up to 5 mm. long, elliptic- to ovate-oblong, coriac., glab. above, with thin appressed white to buff tomentum below, margins strongly undulate to almost flat. Capitula sessile, fascicled on slender branches of corymb; phyll. erect, imbricate, forming a narrow involucre, outer short, glab. or nearly so, ± viscid-glandular; florets solitary, tubular, perfect, whitish; achenes 2-3·5 mm. long, hardly compressed, slender, pubescent to pilose; pappus-hairs subequal, 3-6 mm. long.

DIST.: N., S. Lowland to lower montane shrubland and forest margins from lat. 37° 30' to Greymouth and Oamaru. Akiraho.

FL. 3-5. FT. 4-7.

The numerous forms have not been adequately studied; the following vars have been named:

Var. elliptica Kirk Stud. Fl. 1899, 277. Lvs narrow- to elliptic-oblong, 5-6·5 × 1·5-2 cm., almost flat. Capitula rather short. No localities are given, but similar forms are not infrequent.

Var. obtusa Kirk loc. cit. 277. Lvs subcoriac., broadly ovate to oblong; capitula small, very narrow. O. uniflora Col. in T.N.Z.I. 22, 1890, 469. Type locality: Ohariu, Cook Strait, North Id. Type: W, E. Cross. Similar forms not infrequent. O. uniflora is an undulate form.

Var. viscosa Simpson in T.R.S.N.Z. 75, 1945, 198. Stems, petioles and infl.-branches brown to dark brown; upper surface of lvs brownish, somewhat viscid; lower surface wth brownish white tomentum; margins only slightly waved. Type locality: Eastern Marlborough, especially coastally. Type: BD 48031, Ure River, G. Simpson. An undulate form, possibly a hybrid with O. coriacea.