Flora of New Zealand Series

Craspedia maritima Ckn. et Allan in Ckn. Veg. N.Z. ed. 2, 1928, 434 (nomen nudum).

Type locality: Titahi Bay. Type: BD 17752, 5/1/1933, H. H. Allan.

Rosette-lvs c. 6-15 × 2-4 cm., broad-obovate, shortly apiculate, sparsely clad in cottony and short subhispid hairs; woolly margin conspicuous. Lower scape-lvs ovate-lanceolate, up to 4 cm. long. Scapes up to 30 cm. or more tall, c. 3 mm. diam., strongly ribbed, sparsely clad in cottony hairs. Glomerules 2.5-3 cm. diam.; florets yellow; achenes c. 2 mm. long, densely silky-hairy.

DIST.: Coastal rock-crevices and grassy places. N.: Shores of Cook Strait. S.: Ocean Beach, near Oamaru, H. H. Allan.

C. fimbriata DC. var. marginata Hook. f. Fl. N.Z. 1, 1853, 131 is described as "foliis obovato-spathulatis subcoriaceis utrinque puberulis pilosisve margine crispato dense niveo-tomentoso, scapo valido pubescente, glomerulis 1 unc. diametro." No localities are given and the var. is not mentioned in the Handbk N.Z. Fl. 1864, 144. Neither Kirk (Stud. Fl. 1899, 316) nor Cheeseman (Man. N.Z. Fl. 1925, 989) refers to it. In the type folder in K there is one sheet with two gatherings: (a) "39 Colenso, on coast between Pakarae and Gisborne"; (b) "132 Colenso, from hills east side of Port Nicholson, one white, one bright yellow". The lvs of (a) have strongly woolly-fimbriate margins and are obovate-spathulate, c. 7 cm. long; the scapes are c. 35 cm. long, the glomerules c. 2.5 cm. diam. But for the more pronounced pilosity of the lf-surfaces the specimens agree very well with C. uniflora var. maritima, but further study of the northern plant is desirable. Specimen (b) is similar but smaller, the rosette-lvs c. 2 × 1 cm., and can be matched by specimens of  var. maritima.