Flora of New Zealand Series

Ancistrum anserinaefolium J. R. et G. Forst. Char. Gen. Pl. 1776, 4.

A. sanguisorbae Linn. f. Suppl. Pl. 1781, 89.

A. diandrum Forst. f. Prodr. 1786, 10.

A. decumbens Gaertn. Fruct. 1, 1788, t. 32.

Acaena sanguisorbae Vahl Enum. Pl. 1, 1805, 294.

Main stems stout, woody, creeping and rooting, up to 1 m. long; branches ascending, up to 1 dm. or more long, pilose. Lvs 4·5-8 cm. long, with 9-13 lflts, petioles pilose; stipules up to c. 1 cm. long, deeply 5-6-fid or more. Upper lflts up to c. 1 cm. long, crenate-serrate, toothed almost to base, brownish green above, paler below; upper surface glab. or nearly so, lower densely pilose to pilose on veins only, teeth penicillate. Terminal lflt on petiolule c. 1·5 mm. long. Scapes up to 10 cm. long, pilose, stout, with or without one or more pairs of bracts. Heads, including spines, c. 1·5 cm. diam., bractlets c. 3 mm. long, often forked. Cupule c. 3-4 mm. long, obconic, tetragonous, pilose. Spines 3·5-6 mm. long, unequal, pale to dark brown or yellowish green, sts suffused with red. Sepals c. 1·5 mm. long, ovate, often tinged red, pilose below, ± papillose above. Stamens 2, anthers white. Stigma plumose.

DIST.: N., S., St. Lowland to montane tussock-grassland and open places throughout.