Flora of New Zealand Series

Type locality: western face of West Dome, Garvie Range. Type: BD 48117, J. Speden―a small form.

Herb with lvs in dense tufts arising from stout simple to branched stock, pseudo-stem ± 3-4 cm. long. Lamina linear, becoming subpatent, coriac., ± rigid, (4)-5-10-(20) cm. × 2-3-(4) mm.; upper surface ± canaliculate, clad in greyish closely appressed pellicle; lower ± densely clad in appressed to subfloccose white tomentum, midrib stout, rather prominent. Margins narrowed gradually to acute long-apiculate apex, strongly to slightly recurved, entire; narrowed to sheath or with very short petiole. Sheath ± 3-5 cm. × 3-6 mm., thin, clad in ± deciduous pellicle, floccose on margins. Scape rather slender, stiff, ± 6-15 cm. long, floccose; bracts ∞, ascending, linear to linear-lanceolate, lower up to c. 4 cm. long. Capitula 25-30-(40) mm. diam.; phyll. up to c. 10 mm. long, delicate, linear-subulate, pale in lower, purplish in upper half, margins and apical portion ciliolate, midvein us. indistinct. Ray-florets c. 10 mm. long, limb narrow spathulate-oblong, obtuse to subacute. Disk-florets c. 5 mm. long, narrow-funnelform, teeth broadly ovate-triangular. Achenes c. 2 mm. long, compressed-cylindric, ribs clad in short white ascending to subappressed hairs. Pappus-hairs very unequal, up to c. 5 mm. long, slender, white, hardly barbellate.

DIST.: S. Montane to subalpine dry grassland, rocky places, fellfield from c. lat. 42° to 45° 30'.

As understood here a rather polymorphic and plastic sp. with lvs us. much more rigid than those of C. gracilenta. It does not appear to occur within the wetter areas. The degree of rigidity and recurving of the lvs appears to be governed by environmental conditions. Simpson (loc. cit.) says "A silvery or slaty grey closely tufted plant forming patches 50 cm. or more in diam." I have not seen plants approaching these dimensions.