Flora of New Zealand Series

Type locality: grassland near gorge of Ashburton River. Type: W, Cockayne Herb.

Drupes ± colour of port-wine, foliage darker than in var. petriei.

DIST.: As for sp.

The two vars often grow together but do not seem to hybridize. Oliver (loc. cit. 39) suggests that var. atropurpurea is a mutant. Cockayne (loc.cit. 22) has a footnote that he has seen a "variety near Cass with white flowers". Oliver (loc. cit. 39) remarks: "The prevalent form of this species, that in tussock grassland, is a dense, low cushion of foliage supported by closely interlacing branches arising from a rather thick stem. The leaves may be mostly glabrous and reach up to 7 mm. in length. When the species is found in dry riverbeds, however, it becomes quite different. The stems are straight, stiff, diagonally ridged and covered with a dark, smooth bark. Arising at regular intervals are the side branches, short, patent, and stiff. The leaves are small, averaging 4 by 1 mm. and borne in fascicles on arrested branchlest . . . It is found in the Lower Waitaki Valley. Proof that these very different looking forms belong to the same species is found in those specimens showing both forms on the same branch. This is seen on specimens from the Rakaia Gorge, in which the lower partly buried branches are interlacing and the exposed ones are straight and rigid."