Flora of New Zealand Series

Banksia prostrata J. R. et G. Forst. Char. Gen. Pl. 1776, 8.

Passerina prostrata Forst. f. Prodr. 1786, 28.

Pimelea laevigata Gaertn. Fruct. 1, 1788, 186, t. 39, f. 1.

Cookia prostrata Gmel. Syst. Nat. 1791, 24.

Prostrate to sprawling, much-branched, sts up to 5 dm. or more diam.; main stem stout, up to ± 2 cm. diam.; branches stout, bark dark brown to almost black; branchlets slender, ∞, flexible to stiff, ± clad in sordid-white hairs. Lvs ∞, close-set, subsessile to sessile. Lamina patent to deflexed, 3-6 × 1-3 mm., ovate- to elliptic-oblong, ± concave, obtuse to subacute, coriac., often red-margined. Subfloral lvs similar, broader. Infl. of 3-10-fld heads. Per. ± 3-4 mm. long, silky-hairy; lobes 1-2.5 mm., about oval, hairy without. Fr. baccate, white or red, ovoid, ± 2 mm. long, sts dry.

DIST.: N., S. Coastal to subalpine rocky, stony or gravelly places, river terraces, grassland, open shrubland and fellfield.

FL.- FT. 9-4.

A great complex of forms is included under the name P. prostrata, of which a number appear to be true-breeding, others habitat modifications. There is also evidence of hybridism both within the species limits and with other spp. While there are abundant specimens in herbaria hardly any are well annotated.

The Forsters describe their sp. (i.e. var. prostrata) as: "foliis ovato-oblongis, sessilibus, carnosis". Forst. f. has "diandra pilosa, foliis ovatis (carnosis F.)". The type folder in K has one sheet, with a good branching specimen; infl. in poor condition. Branchlets with rather long axillary tufts of hairs; lvs 4-5 × 2-2.5 mm., ovate-oblong to ovate, subacute to obtuse, glab. or nearly so; stems soon glabrate. This is the var. repens Hook. f. Fl. N.Z. 1, 1854, 221; "prostrata, subrepens, caulibus gracilibus, foliis remotis obovatis, floribus parvis. P. prostrata, Forst. Prodr. et Herb." It has a wide distribution in both islands. Cheeseman's var. repens (P. laevigata var. repens of Man. N.Z. Fl. 1906, 613) "stems more slender, procumbent or prostrate, often very diffusely branched. Flowers fewer and smaller" includes other forms than the typical ones. A tentative grouping of forms other than var. prostrata may help further study.

A. Lvs, at least towards apices of branchlets, very densely quadrifariously imbricate.

1. var. quadrifaria Hook. in Lond. J. Bot. 3, 1844, 416. "Foliis arcte quadrifariis imbricatis latis obovatis obtusis concavis glabris, ramulis petiolis brevibus persistentibus foliorum lapsorum creberrime tuberculatis. This is not an uncommon plant in the neighbourhood of the Bay of Islands, especially near the sea, it is also found on the mountains of the interior." The montane plants included by Hooker probably belong to the next form. The type at K, is "Stephenson 93".

Under this I include a common coastal gravel and sand form of the Wellington coast. Roots very stout and woody near crown, us. > 1 cm. diam. Branches prostrate, ± woody, scarred by persistent lf-bases; glab., except at lf-axils. Lvs pale to subglaucous green, broad-ovate to oval, obtuse, fleshy, concave, 3-5 × 2-3 mm. Infl. of 6-8 fls per head. Per. tube pilose, ± 2-4 mm. long; lobes pilose without, ± 2-3 mm. long, oblong. Fr. baccate, ovoid, white or red, or occ. dry. In S. it reaches to mouth of Rakaia R.

2. var. alpina Cheesem. Man. N.Z. Fl. 1906, 613. P. microphylla Col. in T.N.Z.I. 22, 1890, 484. Cheeseman's description is: "Stems stout, suberect or spreading, branches tortuous, scarred, often nearly glabrous." He cites no localities, but specimens so named in his herbarium, from Mount Ruapehu, well match the type of Colenso's P. microphylla from "Sides of Mount Tongariro, County of East Taupo, 1889; Mr. H. Hill." Colenso emphasizes the "very small and closely-imbricated quadrifarious leaves, its solitary red flowers, and the rounded tips of its perianth lobes." The specimen in A (Ruapehu 6000', Carse, 9112, 13.1.21) has branchlets ± dichotomous, stiff, scarred by persistent lf-bases, ± 1 mm. diam.; lf-axils with dense tufts of sordid-white hairs. Lvs ± 2-3 mm. long, about ovate-oblong, concave, coriac., ± red-margined. Fls solitary or few. Similar forms occur on Mount Ngauruhoe and the Kaimanawa Range.

B. Lvs close-set to remote, but not densely quadrifariously imbricate.

(a) Plants erect.

3. var. erecta Cheesem. Man. N.Z. Fl. 1906, 613. "Stems stout, erect or suberect. Heads usually many-flowered." Cheeseman gives no localities, but specimens from several are so named in his herbarium (A) mostly between lat. 35° and 37°. Similar forms occur in South Id from Christchurch to L. Wanaka. A specimen of Carse (909/3, Wellsford, near Auckland) has branches erect or ascending at narrow angle, slender; lf-scars with persistent tufts of hairs. Lvs close-set, erecto-patent, (5)-8-10 × 2-3 mm., elliptic-oblong to narrow ovate-oblong, subacute, abruptly narrowed to minute petioles, coriac., glab. Subfloral lvs shorter, broader. Infl. ± 8-fld. In other forms the lvs may be ±4·5 mm. long, of ovate order, plant seldom > 4 dm. tall.

4. P. bicolor Col. in T.N.Z.I. 22, 1890, 485. Colenso's specimens (not seen by me) came from "Open spots, Taupo, County of East Taupo: 1889; Mr. H. Hill." He compares it to P. urvilleana A. Rich., P. prostrata Vahl, P. rugulosa Col. His description includes: "A small shrub, main branches 2 in.-3 in. long, slender, erect . . . Leaves numerous, lanceolate, 2-21/2 lines long . . . pale-green, glabrous, margined with a broad dark-purple line . . . Flowers very small . . . single or forming an opposite pair. Perianth 2 lines long . . . very hairy . . . lobes very small . . . stigma large, capitate, fimbriate. Nut enclosed, oblong, turgid, 1 line long."

5. P. heterophylla Col. in T.N.Z.I. 22, 1890, 486. Colenso based his sp. on specimens from "Dry open spots, high up on Mount Ruapehu . . . 1889: Mr. H. Hill . . . closely allied to P. bicolor Col." His description includes: "Leaves . . . decussate, petiolate, of 2 sizes and forms -(1) 2 lines long, broadly lanceolate . . . and (2) 1 line long, narrow-lanceolate, very close, crowded and imbricated on the smaller (and barren) branchlets; all narrowly margined red . . . Floral leaves similar to No. 1. Flowers . . . 2-4 together, small . . . Perianth red, veined, very hairy . . . Nut enclosed, obovate . . . 11/2 lines long."

The specimens at K show the lf differences clearly, but such and greater differences are found in other forms, and red margins also.

(b) Plants prostrate or decumbent or straggling.

6. var. urvilleana (A. Rich.) Meissn. in DC. Prodr. 14, 1857, 517. P. urvilleana A. Rich. Essai Fl. N.Z. 1832, 175. Branchlets densely clad in white silky hairs. Lvs about oval, obtuse, glab., coriac., (3)-4-8-(9) × (2)-3-5-(7) mm. Infl. of 6-8-fld heads; per. white, silky-hairy, tube not > 2 mm. long, lobes ± 2 mm. long, suborbicular. Fr. baccate, white or red. The type material was collected by D'Urville in Tasman Bay. Specimens so attributed have been collected coastally from near North Cape to Fiordland. The complex has many forms, some probably hybrids with P. arenaria. I have seen no forms from the type locality with branchlets so markedly white-hairy as in North Auckland forms.

7. P. rugulosa Col. in T.N.Z.I. 21, 1889, 102, was based on specimens from "Open places, Tahoraiti, south of Dannevirke . . . 1885-1888, W.C." The description includes: "Plant . . . prostrate . . . branches sparingly hairy; hairs greyish . . . Leaves decussate . . . patent, decurved . . . sub-glaucous-green . . . sub-papillose on under surface, narrow-oblong, obtuse, 2-3 lines long . . . margins . . . bright red . . . petioles . . . transversely wrinkled below. Perianth 31/2 lines long, the lower half of the tube rose-coloured turgid and rugulose, the upper portion slender and (with the limb) white."

Specimens in K and W have lvs ± 5-7 × 2-2.5 mm., about elliptic-oblong, glab., branchlets rather sparsely hairy; per. tube 3-4 mm. long, lobes 2-3 mm. long. The wrinkling of the per. tube is not a constant character and is not confined to this form, which has a wide distribution.

8. P. laevigata Gaertn. var. monticola Petrie in T.N.Z.I. 56, 1926, 11. Branches decumbent; branchlets subdichotomous, ascending, crowded, silky-hairy when young; axillary hairs long. Lvs becoming patent, ± elliptic-oblong, obtuse to subacute ± 5-7 × 2-3 mm. Subfloral lvs broadly ovate-oblong, ± 7 × 4 mm. Infl. of ± 8-fld heads; per. ± 8 mm. long, purplish, silky-hairy, lobes ± 2 mm. long, obtuse. "Hab.-Hauhungatahi, Waimarino Plateau, c. 3,800 ft.: H. Carse and H. B. Matthews! Mount Tongariro: B. C. Aston! . . . It is always a plant of more open growth with leaves much less glossy than in the type." The above description was drawn up from the Carse and Matthews specimens in W.

9. Form parvifolia. Branches rather stout, prostrate, branchlets slender, flexible, glab. or nearly so, purplish red. Lvs ∞, approximate, subsessile; lamina 2-3 × 1-2 mm., glab., us. with dark red margin, elliptic- to obovate-oblong. Infl. of 1-(4) small fls; tube pilose, lobes oblong. Fr. dry, ± 2 mm. long, or sts baccate, white. The description is drawn up from specimens (BD 73187) from Omarama, but closely similar forms occur from mid Canterbury to North Otago.