Flora of New Zealand Series

Delicate annual herb with a single stem or with many stems forming small loose cushions; stems ± decumbent or almost prostrate, rooting at nodes, ascending to c. 5 cm, much-branched. Lvs connate at base, 1.3-3-(4.5) × 0.3-0.7 mm, c. 0.2 mm thick, linear or linear-lanceolate, flattened above, convex beneath; apex acute or apiculate. Fls solitary in axil of one lf of each lf pair, with petals remaining ± erect, 4-merous, c. 1.5 mm diam.; pedicels usually < 1 mm long at anthesis, elongating to 10-(13) mm long at fruiting. Calyx lobes 0.5-0.8 × c. 0.3 mm, ovate-triangular, obtuse or subacute. Petals c. 0.6-0.7 × 0.2-0.3 mm, elliptic-ovate, reddish green with pink or white margins, obtuse or subacute, c. = calyx. Scales c. 0.15 mm long, narrow-linear. Follicles smooth. Seed 0.2-0.35 mm long.

N.: near Lake Waikaremoana (N. Hawke's Bay), Cape Palliser (Wellington); S.: a few scattered localities in inland Marlborough, Mackenzie Basin (Canterbury), C. Otago.

Also indigenous to Australia and S. America.

Lake margins and stream banks.

FL Oct-Jan.

N.Z. plants are considered conspecific with those in S. America (Toelken 1981, op. cit.). This sp. was treated as Tillaea purpurata Hook. f. by Allan (1961).