Flora of New Zealand Series

Slender branching ± pilose herb up to 6 dm. tall, with rather stout stock and ∞ deeply descending roots. Radical lvs ∞, 3-foliolate, on petioles 2-10 cm. long; sheath membr.; lamina with oblong to broadly ovate Iflts, cuneately narrowed to base or rounded, coarsely toothed or lobed or partite. Lower cauline lvs similar, upper less cut to entire, merging into linear bracts. Fls seldom > 1·5 cm. diam.; sepals 5, oblong, at length reflexed, fugaceous; petals obovate, yellow; gland 1 near base. Fruiting heads small, subglobose; achenes glab., compressed, distinctly margined; style short, hooked.

DIST.: N., S., St., Ch. Lowland to subalpine in a large range of habitats from forest to rocky places, throughout.

FL. 9-2. FT. 10-3.

A complex of still ill-resolved forms and nomenclature is placed under this name. Forster (Prodr. 1786, 40) merely gives the name "R. hirtus. S." Hooker (Fl. N.Z. 1, 1852, 9) accepted R. plebeius R. Br. ex DC. Syst. 1, 1817, 288 as well as R. hirtus for N.Z.--plebeius, lvs cut into narrow segs; hirtus, lvs with broad segs, lobed and not deeply cut. In Handbk N.Z. Fl. he places R. hirtus and R. acris A. Rich. Essai Fl. N.Z. 1832, 289 as synonymous with R. plebeius R. Br.

Kirk (Stud. Fl. 1899, 14) places R. plebeius Hook. f. non R. Br. as a synonym in part of R. hirtus. He distinguishes: "var. robustus. Erect, stout, much branched. Cauline leaves usually 3-foliolate; leaflets narrowed below. Heads of achenes larger than in the type. In sub-alpine places. var. stoloniferus. Stems slender, procumbent and rooting at the nodes. Leaves small, 3-fid or 3-partite. Flowers small. Achenes small. In subalpine situations. var. membranifolius. Stem capillary, 3 in,-5 in. long, suberect. Radical leaves on long slender petioles, sub-reniform, 3-lobed. Flowers and achenes very small. South Island: Westland; Teremakau, Petrie ! Subsp. plebeius. Suberect or erect, sparingly villous or silky, slender. Radical leaves on long petioles, 3-foliolate; leaflets shortly stalked, ovate-cuneate, 3-lobed or toothed. Peduncles slender. Sepals appressed or spreading, rarely reflexed. Petals narrow-obovate, close. Achenes glabrous with a slender hooked beak.- R. plebeius R. Br. in DC. Syst. Veg. 288. South Island: Hilly and subalpine localities, ascending to 4,000 ft. Nov. to Jan. This differs from the Australian plant in the leaves never being digitately divided."

Cheeseman (Man. N.Z. Fl. 1906, 18-19) does not accept Kirk's robustus and membranifolius as "good" vars, but accepts var. stoloniferus for forms found in "Damp sub-alpine localities in the South Island, not uncommon." He adds, as more distinct: var. elongatus, "lowland districts north of Auckland", for plants "tall and slender, often over 2 ft. high". In ed. 2, 1925, 446 he erects this into his species R. urvilleanus. Var. gracilis is distinguished by: "sparingly covered with silky appressed hairs. Leaves 3-foliolate; leaflets often long-stalked . . . Flowers large, 1/2-3/4 in. diam. Achenes larger, with a longer style. Mountain districts of the South Island, 3000-4500 ft. This is a well-marked plant, which Mr Kirk described as 'sub-species plebeius', quoting R. plebeius, R. Br., as a synonym. But this I feel sure is a mistake, for it does not at all agree either with descriptions or specimens of R. Brown's plant." In ed. 2, 1925, 446-447, he accepts gracilis and stoloniferus as vars occurring in S.

Very slender stoloniferous forms occur in marginal forest in the southern fiord areas, and robuster forms in N. The whole complex needs cultural and genetic study.