Flora of New Zealand Series

Type locality: head of Wairarapa Valley. Type: K, W. Colenso 2042.

Slender, forming mats or open patches up to c. 3 dm. diam. Stems and branches clad in subappressed, flattened, stiff hairs; sts nearly glab., except in axils of petioles. Lvs us. in rather distant pairs on filiform petioles 2-4 mm. long; stipules truncate, us. glab., bearing 2-3 glandular teeth, forming a cuplike sheath. Lamina with stiff hairs on both surfaces, ovate to broad-ovate to broad-elliptic to occ. subrotund (several forms often on one plant), (3)-5-10-(12) × (3)-4-6-(9) mm., obtuse or sts subacute, rather abruptly narrowed to base; margins slightly thickened, ciliate. Fls protogynous, axillary and terminal, sessile. Calyx setulose; lobes us. obscure but sts evident. Corolla elongate, flaring at mouth, 8-10 mm. long; lobes 5, us. hairy, narrow- to oblong-triangular c. 2mm. long, acute. Anthers far-exserted, sagittate, drooping; styles far-exserted. Drupe setose, fleshy when young, dry when mature.

DIST.: N., S., St. Lowland to montane grassland, open places, forest margins, from near North Cape southwards, rather local.

FL. 11-2. FT. 1-5.

Closely allied to N. reptans F. Muell. Of Australia and forming with it a group worthy of subgeneric rank. Colenso (T.N.Z.I. 16, 1884, 331) based his N. pusilla on specimens collected "On dry upland heaths between Matamau and Dannevirke (with Viola perexigua and Myosotis pygmaea), 1882-83: W. C." The description agrees fairly well with small compact forms of N. setulosa and includes: "Leaves sub-orbicular and broadly ovate, spreading, membranous with muricated white dots on upper surface, 11/2-2 lines long, obtuse, slightly decurrent, hispid on both surfaces and coarsely ciliate . . . Stipules very minute, linear, acute, entire . . . Corolla infundibuliform, 31/2 lines long, hispid without and densely echinate at top . . . fruit small, about 1 line long, very hispid, sessile, dry, oval, ribbed". The status needs further study; I have not seen specimens.

I know nothing of N. scapanioides Lange  Ind. Sem. Hort. haun. 1868, 22, said to occur in N.Z.