Flora of New Zealand Series

Ligusticum politum Kirk Stud. Fl. 1899, 202.

Type locality: Ben Nevis, Nelson. Type: W, F.G. Gibbs.

Small, tufted, with erect stems up to 2 dm. tall, us. shorter. Lvs 2-3-pinnate (rarely only 1-pinnate), up to 15 cm. long. Sheaths c. 3 cm. × 8 mm.; stipules subfiliform, with slightly expanded base, unequal, up to 1 cm. long; Petioles ± 10-20 mm. long, internodes very short. Primary pinnae 4-6 pairs, ± 4 cm. long; secondary to c. 1 cm. long, very narrow-linear, flaccid; tertiary ± 1 mm. wide to capillary, mucronulate. Stems of male plants very slender, c. 15 cm. long including lax infl. ± 7 cm. long. Bracts small; sheaths ± 15 × 4 mm., thin; stipules capillary; lamina pinnately to bipinnately divided, up to c. 2 cm. long. Umbels forming a loose open panicle; rays very slender, unequal, up to c. 4 cm. long. Umbellules ± 5 mm. diam., on capillary rays. Stems of female plants stiff, slender, with lax infl. up to ± 5 cm. long. Bract-sheaths c. 10 mm. long; stipules ± linear-lanceolate; lamina pinnately divided. Umbels forming an open panicle, slightly more compound than in male plants; rays unequal, c. 2-3 cm. long, spreading; umbellules very small, on very short rays. Fr. c. 3 mm. long.

DIST.: N., S. Montane to subalpine, Tararua Range to c. lat. 42°.