Flora of New Zealand Series

P. pimeleoides var. major Cheesem. Man. N.Z. Fl. 1906, 60.

Prostrate shrub with long branches ± 5 mm. diam., rooting at intervals; branchlets hardly up to 2 mm. diam., pubescent when young. Lvs in rather distant whorls of (2)-3-4-(5), or occ. solitary, on very short slender petioles. Lamina obovate-elliptic to obovate to elliptic, subcoriac., glab., (8)-10-25-(30) × (4)-6-12-(15) mm., us. minutely apiculate. Infl. terminal, of umbellate cymes or of solitary fls. Fls fragrant, petals crimson without, lemon-yellow within, functionally unisexual. ♂ in (2)-5-6-(9)-fld umbels on filiform pubescent pedicels (5)-8-10 mm. long; sepals ± 3 mm. long, very narrowly lanceolate, acuminate; petals ± 10 mm. long, of similar shape; abortive pistil us. present. ♀ mostly solitary, on filiform pubescent pedicels 3-5 mm. long; sepals and petals similar to those of ♂; staminodes us. present; ovary densely hairy. Capsules silky-hairy when young, pulp yellow; valves 2, woody, very dark brown, minutely warted, orange-yellow within, ovoid-acuminate, 6-10 mm. long, including prominent "beak".

DIST.: The type was collected near North Cape (A, Cheeseman, 1896). Plants were rediscovered by R. H. Michie in 1945 at Kerr Point, near North Cape. Mr. Michie is making detailed studies of this sp., and of P. pimeleoides and P. virgatum. Cape Maria van Diemen, R. Green, BD 87686. Fls have been gathered in January, March and June; the fr. appears to take as much as a year to ripen.