Flora of New Zealand Series

Semi-erect, scrambling shrub; primocanes arching, dark-purple, sharply angled and ± flat between, with numerous subsessile glands, few long-stalked glands and moderately to densely clothed in mostly stellate hairs; armature of many, stout, erect prickles mostly on angles and usually a few pricklets on faces and angles. Young stems densely hairy and glandular. Leaflets (3)-5, sparsely pilose on upper surface, pilose on veins and tomentose (often densely) between on lower surface, irregularly serrate-dentate; terminal leaflet lamina orbicular to broadly elliptic-obovate, acuminate, 60-90-(110) × 50-80-(110) mm with petiole 1/4-3/7 length of lamina. Stipules linear. Infl. densely hairy, with subsessile and many but not numerous long-stalked glands. Sepals long-attenuate, tomentose and with longer simple hairs, with pricklets. Petals rounded or slightly notched, undulate, pale to deep pink. Anthers glabrous or with 1-2 hairs.

N.: local in Taranaki and Wellington; S.: local in Canterbury, Otago and Southland.

Europe 1899

Hillsides, roadsides, waste places, damp forest margins, streamsides.

FL Dec-Feb.

R. vestitus is most similar to R. polyanthemus, from which it is distinguished by the more numerous long-stalked infl. glands, the broader leaflets which are plane when fresh, and the more densely hairy purplish stems. It is also similar to R. mucronulatus, but is distinguished by the coarsely toothed, acuminate leaflets. Hybrids with R. ulmifolius have been collected in the North Id and some collections from Taranaki match R. vestitus in most characters but lack the long-stalked glands which usually characterise the sp. It has previously been recorded in N.Z. as R. leucostachys.