Olearia virgata (Hook.f.) Hook.f.
Eurybia virgata Hook. f. Fl. N.Z. 1, 1853, 119.
Type locality: "in bogs, Wairarapa". Type: K, Colenso. The above description applies to the type, the lvs of which are mostly narrowly obovate. Exact dist. uncertain.
Slender ± divaricate shrub up to c. 2.5 m. tall; branches slender, ± virgate; branchlets 4-angled, sulcate, elongate, opp., ± divaricate, pilose when young. Lvs in small opp. fascicles or occ. paired, 5-10-(20) × 3-5-(8) mm., entire, obovate to narrow-obovate, obtuse, subcoriac., glab. or nearly so above, clad in soft appressed white to buff tomentum below; petioles c. 1 mm. long. Capitula ± 8-9 mm. diam., in opp. fascicles or paired, on slender bracted or nude tomentose pedicels. Phyll. short, woolly-tomentose, in 2-(4) series. Ray-florets few, ligulate; disk-florets 6-8. Pappus-hairs white to reddish; achenes puberulous.
As treated below the sp. embraces a very polymorphic complex, still far from adequately studied, and much further field work is necessary. Certain forms have been segregated as spp. by various authors, and some of these may be ultimately accepted. Many of the forms are linked by hybridism, some at least are plastic, with several habitat forms; there appears to be little significant difference in fl. and fr. characters. The following tentative varietal arrangement (exclusive of var. virgata described above) may be of service to future workers.
Key
DIST.: N., S., St. Lowland shrubland and boggy ground from lat. 37° southwards.
FL. 10-1. FT. 12-2.
