Pratia arenaria Hook.f.
Glabrous, prostrate or semi-prostrate herb often forming large mats to c. 1 m diam., compact when in exposed situations. Stems creeping, rooting at nodes, rather stout, somewhat succulent, usually branched. Petioles 1-5 mm long. Lamina (4)-7-25-(35) × (4)-7-20-(25) mm, obovate-oblong to orbicular, sinuate to bluntly and obscurely dentate or sometimes rather coarsely toothed, membranous to somewhat succulent. Peduncles 1-2 cm long, slender. Fls solitary. Calyx lobes 2-3 mm long, narrow-oblong to narrow-triangular. Corolla white, deeply lobed; lobes c. 10 mm long, ± narrow-elliptic, acute; lower lip spreading; upper lip ascending. Fr. ± 6-10 × 5-8 mm, obliquely subovoid to subglobose, reddish purple to pinkish purple, somewhat compressed.
S.: apparently restricted to coastal S.E. Otago; Ch., A., C., Ant.
Endemic.
Most commonly in damp and sandy ground, but in a wide range of habitats in Ch.
FL Dec-Mar.
