Flora of New Zealand Series

velvet groundsel

Erect, perennial shrub, up to c. 1-(2) m tall. Stems moderately to densely clothed in short hairs, becoming less hairy, branched from base and above. Lvs moderately to densely clothed in short hairs giving a velvety texture to both surfaces, petiolate; petiole ± = lamina, not amplexicaul; lamina ± orbicular, acute to obtuse, truncate to cordate at base, minutely denticulate and shallowly lobed with 4-7, ± flat-sided lobes on each side, 10-20 cm diam.; venation palmate. Uppermost lvs becoming smaller, and sometimes apetiolate and obovate. Capitula in dense terminal panicles. Supplementary bracts 0-4, linear-lanceolate, 1.5-7 mm long. Involucral bracts 7-9, ovate- to elliptic-oblong, pubescent, 7-12 mm long. Ray florets 4-6; ligules yellow, 5-10 mm long. Disc brownish yellow. Mature achenes not seen, glabrous.

N.: Kohukohu and Whangarei (N. Auckland), vicinity of Auckland City, coastal Waikato, Coromandel, Opotiki District, Wellington; S.: one site only, Kaikoura-Waiau Road (Marlborough).

Mexico 1985

Waste places, scrubland, swampy sites a persistent garden discard and establishing locally from seed.

FL Jul-Nov.