Flora of New Zealand Series

C. longifolia var. alpina Kirk in T.N.Z.I. 27, 1895, 328.

Tufted herb with us. much and closely branched woody stock up to ± 6 cm. long, pseudo-stems up to c. 2 cm. long, close-set. Lvs very narrow-linear, subcoriac.; lamina ± 15-30 × (0·5)-0.75-1 mm.; upper surface canaliculate, grey-green, glab.; lower densely clad in appressed soft white tomentum, midrib evident; apex acute, sts shortly apiculate; margins us. much recurved, entire, narrowed to glab., pale, thin sheath c. 10 × 1 mm., with evident midrib. Scape 3-5 cm. long, very slender, finely grooved, ± clad in deciduous floccose hairs; bracts almost filiform, ascending, up to 10 mm. long. Capitula ± 15-20 mm. diam. Outer phyll. narrow-ovate, c. 7 mm. long; inner narrowly linear-subulate to narrow-lanceolate, c. 9 mm. long; both series almost scarious, midrib evident, margins sparingly hairy, tips acute, dark. Ray-florets ± 12 mm. long, tube very slender, limb widening to apex; disk-florets ± 5 mm. long, tubular to very narrowly funnelform, teeth narrow-triangular. Achenes narrow-cylindric, finely ribbed, c. 2.5-3 mm. long, glab. Pappus-hairs white, slender, up to 5 mm. long, very finely barbellate.

The above description is drawn up from what may be considered the type sheet (in W, "Celmisia longifolia, Mountain swamp form, Arthurs Pass, T.K.").

Kirk (loc. cit.) gives other localities: "Mount Arthur, W. H. Bryant! Amuri, T. Kirk." Cheeseman (loc. cit.) remarks: "South Island: Abundant in alpine bogs throughout. 3000-5000 ft. . . . A peculiar little plant, with a very distinct habit of growth, but possibly only an alpine variety of C. gracilenta." He admits much larger plants than those included by Kirk. The whole complex needs cultural and genetic study. Plants grown by me increased their stature but little. Some plants in the alpina folders in herbaria appear to belong rather to C. laricifolia.