Flora of New Zealand Series

R. australis Hook. f. Fl. N.Z. 1, 1853, 135 p. max. p.

non R. australis Hook. f. in Raoul Choix 1846, 20, t. 15.

R. australis Hook. f. emend. Beauverd loc. cit. 1910, 219, f. 4.

Type locality: "Nelson Mountains". Type: K, Bidwill 41.

Main stems slender, much-branched, prostrate and rooting; branchlets close-set, forming flat patches up to 5 dm. or more diam. Lvs closely imbricate, membr. towards 3-nerved base, subcoriac. towards rounded to retuse and apiculate apex, ± 2 × 1 mm., narrowly obovate-spathulate, ± inflexed; both surfaces ± glab. in basal part; dorsal surface clad in appressed white to buff, occ. tinged pale yellow, tomentum in apical portion; ventral surface with woolly hairs towards apex. Capitula ± 5-7 mm. diam. Florets c. 15, ± narrow-funnelform. Outer phyll. subfoliaceous; inner up to 5 mm. long, linear, obtuse, not radiate, ± stramineous, margins scarious. Achenes minutely pubescent to nearly glab., us. < 1mm. long; pappus-hairs c. 4 mm. long, very slender, not or hardly thickened at tips; papillae obscure, claviform.

DIST.: N., S., St. Montane to subalpine grassland, open ground, herbfield from c. lat. 39° to 45°.

The type consists of 5 good flowering pieces, and matches the prevailing form. The complex, however, needs fuller study.