Flora of New Zealand Series

Type locality: Drainage area of Upper Waimakariri River. Type not indicated by Cockayne, but plants answering his description are not uncommon.

Small subshrub with woody, often multicipital, stock; branches close-set, clad in imbricate If-remains; living lvs rosulate at tips of branchlets. Lamina coriac., viscid, (2.5)-3-5 cm. × (2)-3·5-(6) mm., linear to occ. linear-spathulate; upper surface clad in thin ± deciduous pellicle; lower in appressed somewhat soft to satiny white tomentum; midrib pale, us. evident; apex obtuse to subacute; margins entire or minutely denticulate. Base suddenly expanded into sheath ± 15 × 5-6 mm., glab., transculent, longitudinal veins fine. Scape slender, viscid, up to c. 15 cm. long; bracts linear-subulate, remote, lower with lamina c. 2 cm. long. Capitula 2-3-4 cm. diam. Phyll. c. 10 mm. long, linear-lanceolate, indurated towards base and pale brown, with very prominent midrib; upper half thin, floccose on margins and ± viscid. Ray-florets c. 16 mm. long, linear, ± glandular, limb much recurved when dry, apex 3-4-toothed. Disk-florets c. 6 mm. long, very narrow-funnelform, teeth c. 1mm. long, ovate-triangular. Achenes c. 3 mm. long, cylindric, ribs densely clad in rather long ascending silky hairs. Pappus-hairs up to c. 5 mm. long, white, slender, very finely barbellate.

DIST.: S. Higher montane to subalpine grassland, fellfield, from c. lat. 43° to 45°.

Erigeron novae-zelandiae Buchan. in T.N.Z.I. 17, 1885, 287, t. 15 is described as "A small semi-shrubby plant 7-8 inches high, whole plant viscid. Leaves very narrow imbricating linearspathulate obscurely and distantly serrate, 11/2-21/2 inches long, 1/5-1/4 inch broad, obtuse or acuminate, green on the upper surface, 3-nerved beneath and covered with closely appressed tomentum. Scapes 2-3, very narrow, proceeding from the axils of the upper leaves. Bracts 5-7 narrow-linear, diminishing in size upwards. Heads 1 inch diameter, involucral scales in few series, linear, very narrow, sometimes recurved. Rays long, narrow, recurved in full flower. Anthers tailless. Pappus 1/5 inch long. Achene with short rigid hairs." The locality is given as Collingwood.

Cockayne (T.N.Z.I. 47, 1915, 114) after describing his C. angustifolia remarks: "I have carefully compared Buchanan's drawing and description with my specimens of the Waimakariri plant, and have come to the conclusion that the two are not the same. If, however, plants matching C. angustifolia are found in the mountains near Collingwood, the habitat of Buchanan's species, the name would be C. novae-zelandiae (Buch.), and C. angustifolia be a synonym." The argument is not very stringent, and Buchanan makes no mention of a mountain habitat. Cheeseman (Man. N.Z. Fl. 1925, 939) with reference to C. angustifolia, says: "I think there can be no doubt that it is identical with Buchanan's Erigeron novae-zelandiae" and makes the resultant new combination. Until more is known of the Celmisiae of the Collingwood district C. novae-zelandiae (Buchan.) Cheesem. remains of uncertain status.