Flora of New Zealand Series

M. tenuis Simpson et Thomson in T.R.S.N.Z. 73, 1944, 161.

(Wrongly quoted as M. tenuicaulis by Simpson in T.R.S.N.Z. 79, 1952, 427.)

Type locality: "Edge of Inch Clutha, near Romahapa (in open bush)". Type: W, 2689, D. Petrie, Dec. 1891.

Slender herb with adventitious roots from upward-growing mostly buried main stem. Lateral branches few or many, us. rather flaccid, some forming new rosettes, some ± branched and ending in infls. Lvs on short main stem with elliptic to broadly oval lamina 6-12 × 3-6 mm., petiole very slender, occ. up to 4 cm. long; hairs short and closely appressed, evenly and sparsely distributed on upper surface, few on undersurface. Flowering branches 2-40 cm. long, internodes us. longer, sts much longer, than lvs; petioles progressively shorter in upper lvs, bracts almost sessile; laminae elliptic to broad-elliptic, hairs as on lvs of main stem. Cyme us. elongated, simple or branched, us. several-fld, internodes us. long with each fl. clearly opp. its bract. Pedicels c. = calyx, sts 5-10 mm. long in fr. Calyx 1*5-3*5 mm., lobes > 1/2 length, narrow and acute, hairs short, closely appressed, evenly and us. sparsely arranged. Corolla white or with yellow throat, 3-4 mm. diam., tube 2 mm. long, cylindric, lobes rounded c. 1 × 1mm.; filaments very short, anthers < 1 mm. long, us. wholly included; style little > calyx, stigma capitate. Nutlets 1·75 × 1·5 mm., acute, projecting from short widely open calyx.

DIST.: N. Ruahine Mts.: Makirikiri, Reporoa Bog. S. Nelson: Tutaki beech forest, Wairoa Gorge, Ben Nevis; Otago: Inch Clutha; Southland: forest near Winton, Oreti River, Garvie Mts, bog.

FL.- FT. 11-3.

The type specimen of M. tenuis (BD 75724, Wairoa Gorge, Nelson, open sparsely covered sunny slopes, Simpson and Thomson), though less elongated than the Inch Clutha specimens of M. tenericaulis, undoubtedly belongs to the latter sp. Specimens from boggy places in the Garvie Mts (e.g., A 7570, 7571 and W 4732 W. A. Thomson and W 2393 E. M. Heine) are dwarfed and flower at c. 2 cm. tall; internodes and pedicels are short and If-texture is less membr. than in larger plants.