Flora of New Zealand Series

Type locality: Discovery Peaks, Nelson. Type: K, W. T. L. Travers, 1860. The type has 2 rosettes, the capitula in fr.

Robust densely branched subshrub up to 10 cm. tall; branchlets close-set, densely clad in imbricate lvs forming compacted rosettes; plant often forming dense patches up to c. 1 m. diam. Lvs erect, becoming reflexed, sheaths persistent. Lamina 10-15-20-(30) × 1·5-2-(3) mm., linear to linear-subulate, coriac., rather rigid; both surfaces densely clad in short appressed white matted hairs; apex obtuse to sub-acute, sts subcucullate, sts apiculate; slightly narrowed at base to pale membr. sheath ± = lamina, ± clad in deciduous matted hairs. Scape reduced to minute stalk densely clad in floccose hairs, sts elongating to c. 5 cm. at fruiting stage and then hairs sparse or absent, ebracteate. Capitula 10-20 mm. diam. or more, at first at least closely subtended by lvs; phyll. pale, slender, linear-subulate, up to c. 12 mm. long, ± scarious, pilose (hairs long-persistent at apex). Ray-florets c. 15-17 mm. long, linear, slightly expanded at tips; disk-florets c. 8 mm. long, narrow-funnelform, flaring at 5-toothed apex. Achenes 3-4 mm. long, cylindric-compressed; hairs on rather obscure ribs short, rather stiff. Pappus us. white; hairs up to 9 mm. long, minutely barbellate.

DIST.: S., St. Montane to subalpine grassland, herbfield and fellfield throughout.

As at present understood the sp. is polymorphic, needing much further study. Kirk (Stud. Fl. 1899, 292) described his var. pedunculata thus: "Heads on terminal silky or villous ebracteate peduncles 3/4 in.-11/2 in. long." He adds, "Possibly the peduncle may not be developed until after the florets have withered." Simpson and Thomson (T.R.S.N.Z. 73, 1943, 169) describe their var. exigua as "Speciei similis sed minor, foliis ± 8 mm. longis 1 mm. latis; capitulorum pedunculis primum perbrevibus, capitulis, foliis occlusis denique elongatis. . . . Common in sub-alpine grassland on mountains at the source of the Freeman River, Lake Manapouri; McKinnon Pass. Altitude 1000-1200 m." The type specimen (BD 72735 G. Simpson) consists of a few rosettes. There is a single capitulum with mature fr., still occluded. Achenes c. 4 mm. long, ribs with distinct minute stiff ascending hairs; pappus-hairs dull white, up to 5 mm. long.

Simpson (T.R.S.N.Z. 75, 1945, 201) lists a var. ambigua Simpson et Thomson from "moist upper grassland, Wilmott Pass". Possibly this is a slip for exigua.