Flora of New Zealand Series

Leptinella pusilla Hook. f. Fl. N.Z. 1, 1853, 129

non Cotula pusilla Thunb. Prodr. Pl. cap. (1794-1800), 162.

Type locality: "Tarndale Plains 4000 ft." Type: K, Travers.

Stems creeping, rooting, branching, rather rigid, wiry, us. with delicate white ± patent hairs; plant forming patches up to ± 3 dm. diam., branchlets clad in persistent lf-sheaths. Lvs close-set in tufts on branchlets; petioles slender, up to c. 10 mm. long, clad in long slender hairs; sheaths scarious, up to 10 mm. long. Lamina narrow-oblong to narrow-obovate to obovate-oblong, membr., silky-hairy on both surfaces, 10-20-25 × 3-7 mm.; pinnatisect to pinnate. Pinnae c. 8-12 pairs (sts to 20 pairs), markedly decreasing in size downwards, mid-pinnae c. 5 × 1 mm., rather distant, entire; costa narrow, flat. Scape stout, rigid, 5-10-(20) mm. long, nude; receptacle slightly convex; phyll. with scarious purple margins. Capitula of ♀ 5-7 mm. diam.; phyll. in 3-4 series, broad-ovate, up to 8 mm. long, concealing florets. Capitula of ♂ 3-5 mm. diam.; phyll. in 1-2 series, broad-oblong to obovate, up to 7 mm. long. Florets ∞, eglandular, 3-4 mm. long; corolla of ♀ ovoid, minutely toothed, of ♂ funnelform. Achenes slightly curved, plano-convex to obscurely trigonous, glab., ribs hardly developed.

DIST.: N. East Cape and Hawkes Bay to Dannevirke. S. Nelson and Marlborough southwards. Grassland and stony places, lowland to montane.