Flora of New Zealand Series

Brossaea oppositifolia (Hook. f.) O. Kuntze Rev. Gen. Pl. 1891, 388.

Type locality: Mount Tarawera. Type: K, Colenso 348.

Much-branched, erect to spreading, up to c. 2 m. tall; branchlets glab. to sparingly setose. Lvs opp. or subopp., sessile or subsessile, sts ± amplexicaul. Lamina thick, coriac., glab., dull green above, paler below, ± 3-6 × 2-3 cm., cordate to subtruncate at base, about ovate-oblong, subacute, mucronulate; margins crenate-serrate, teeth apiculate. Fls in terminal and subterminal oppositely branched racemes 5-10 cm. long, forming ample panicles. Pedicels pubescent, up to c. 5 mm. long; bracteoles ovate, obtuse, c 2.5 mm. long. Calyx deeply cut; lobes ovate triangular to ovate-oblong, c. 1 5 mm long, margins ± ciliolate. Corolla glab. or rarely ± pubescent within, urceolate, 2-3 mm. long; lobes slightly recurved; anther-cells conspicuously 2-awned; filaments expanded towards base, abruptly contracted to insertion. Capsule c. 3-4 mm. diam., surrounded by dry, not enlarged, calyx.

DIST.: N. Lower to higher montane rocky and open places from c. lat. 37º 30' to 39º.

FL. (9)-11-2. FT. 12-(8).

G. multibracteolata Col. in T.N.Z.I. 24, 1892, 389, from "Interior hilly country near Taupo, 1889: Mr. H. Hill" is described as having "Leaves opposite, petiolate, ovate, 1 in.-11/2 in. long, slightly cordate (those on lower stem broader and more cordate) . . . margins crenate-serrate with sharp black teeth . . . petioles short, stoutish . . . Flowers in small few-branched compact panicles 11/2 in. long; branches short, few-flowered, with many bracteoles between the flowers; the bracts at bases of branches of panicle large, broadly deltoid, pale conspicuous, with coarse and close erect black bristle-teeth at margins . . . Corolla pale red . . . each forked awn springing from a single narrow stem arising from tip of anther."

The type specimen at W is labelled by Colenso, with a note," Large loose spec. sent to Kew". There is a single branch 15 cm. long. The lower three lvs (length measured from sinus) are 22 × 18 mm., 25 × 18 mm., 22 × 19 mm., broadly ovate, cordate, subsessile, The upper lvs are c. 30 × 15 mm., ovate, subcordate, subsessile. The "panicle" is too much destroyed by insects to tell the points made by Colenso. Probably Burtt and Hill (loc. cit. 613) are correct in placing the name as a straight synonym of G. oppositifolia.

INCERTAE SEDIS

1. G. fluviatilis A. Cunn. in Ann. nat. Hist. 2, 1839, 49. This was reduced to a var. of G. antipoda "with no hesitation" by Hooker (Fl. N.Z.I. 1854, 161). This course was followed by Cheeseman (Man. N.Z. Fl. 1925, 689). Hooker gives for the variety: "frutex, virgatus, foliis elliptico- v. lineari-lanceolatis, floribus parvis versus apice ramulorum subracemosis, pedicellis longioribus glabratis." Cheeseman says: "Erect, virgately branched. Leaves large, 1/2- ⅔ in., oblong-lanceolate or lanceolate. Flowers small, almost racemed, on longer and more slender pedicels." Burtt and Hill (loc. cit. 625) treat G. fluviatilis A. Cunn. as a synonym of G. antipoda, but make a group "Plants of the G. fluviatilis type with narrow leaves." Cunningham's description fits neither that of Hooker nor that of Cheeseman. It is "caulibus suffruticosis, procumbentibus, ramis crinitis, foliis lineari-lanceolatis obtuse acuminatis petiolatis (semiuncialibus) margine revolutis remote serratis, serraturis apiculoque obtusis callosis, supra tenuiter pilosis, subtus rugoso-striatis, racemis terminalibus folio multoties longioribus, pedicello bracteatis villosis. -Andromeda rupestris. R.C. Mss. 1834, non Forst. New Zealand (Northern Island). In the pebbly bed of the Keri-Keri river near the Great Fall, Bay of Islands.-1834, R. Cunningham." Burtt and Hill (loc. cit. 627) with a broad concept of G. antipoda, remark: "Generally speaking, the leaves of G. antipoda are fairly constant in shape, obovate or suborbicular, 1-1·5 cm. long and 0·8-1·3 cm. broad. One group, however, shows very marked variation from this general type. The specimens come from the district around the Bay of Islands, North Auckland. Amongst them is the type specimen of G. fluviatilis A. Cunningham, whose leaves average 1·25 cm. long and 0·4 cm. broad. This specimen, however, is only intermediate between the type and the extreme forms, some of which (e.g. Colenso, s.n), have leaves averaging 1·25 cm. long but only 0·2 cm. broad. It is noteworthy that the plants with narrow leaves frequently show hypertrophy in the flowering shoots; many of the specimens from the north of the North Island are abnormal." The group needs closer study. My measurements of the type gave an average of 1 cm. × 2 mm. A specimen in Colenso's herbarium in W, now without a label, has lvs ± 10 × 2 mm. ± linear-oblong, acute, apiculate, rather coarsely distantly serrate; racemes axillary and terminal, ± 1·5 cm. long.

2. G. divergens Col. in T.N.Z.I. 20, 1889, 198 was described from specimens collected "On the slopes of Mount Tongariro, west side, Country of East Taupo; 1887; Mr. H. Hill." Included in Colenso's description is: "Branchlets finely and sparsely pubescent, with scattered long rigid stout adpressed sub-spinous hairs . . . Leaves alternate, numerous, sub-erect, flat, oblong and broadly lanceolate, usually 8-9 lines long sometimes (but rarely) only 3-4 lines . . . Flowers in simple terminal and sub-terminal loose axillary racemes, 2 inches long . . . A species allied to G. rupestris Br. . . but differing widely in its marginal leaves, in its long and pilose bibracteate pedicels, in its long narrow free-spreading and entire calycine lobes, and in its fruit not being depressed but erect like a small gun-cap.": The type sheet in W (three fruiting pieces) agrees very well with Colenso's description, except that I find the Lvs (omitting the smaller subfloral ones) to have laminae 20-35 cm. × 7-15 mm., of elliptic-oblong to ovate-elliptic to obovate-elliptic order (on the same piece), Cheeseman (Man. N.Z. fl. 1925, 690) places it as a synonym of G. rupestris. Burtt and Hill (loc. cit. 619) remark: "Hybrids between G. antipoda and G. paniculata, of which G. divergens is probably one, show a certain resemblance to some forms of G. rupestris, and it may be that the identification of these as G. rupestris is the reason for the extended northward distribution given by Cheeseman and also for Kirk's [T.N.Z.I. 5, 1873, 326] record of G. rupestris from Rotorua." They suggest (loc. cit. 635) in a discussion of G. paniculata × antipoda : "The type specimen of G. divergens Colenso differs from the other specimens enumerated in having much thicker leaves. This suggests that G. colensoi may be concerned in the cross." I confess not to be able to find any clear evidence that either G. antipoda or G. colensoi have been concerned in the production of G. divergens. There should be no difficultly in making further study.

3. G. epiphyta Col. in T.N.Z.I. 22, 1890, 474 was based on a single specimen epiphytic on a sp. of Dicksonia in a "wood, south of Dannevirke". Cheeseman [Man. N.Z. Fl. 1925, 689) includes the name as a synonym of his var. erecta of G. antipoda : "Erect, much-branched. Leaves large, 1/2-3/4 in., broadly oblong or orbicular." Burtt and Hill (loc. cit. 625) place the name as a synonym of G. antipoda, without comment. Colenso's description includes: "branch lets very hairy; hairs long, appressed, springing from muricated dots. Leaves . . . submembranaceous or very slightly coriaceous . . . narrow oblong, apiculate, 5-7 lines long, margin thickened, recurved, serrate with a long slender mucro within the blunt tooth at tip of a lateral vein . . . Stamens short, muricated; filaments 1-nerved, broadly dilated upwards . . . Capsule small, sub-orbicular depressed, enclosed by enlarged slightly fleshy dark-red calyx." Colenso emphasizes the anther-differences." orange-red, sub-orbicular, urceolate, turgid, 2-awned; awns short, stoutish, incurved". The type, in W, but without a Colenso label is a branching piece with several fls. Lamina subcoriac., (7)-10-15 × (4)-6-10 mm., about elliptic-oblong.