Flora of New Zealand Series

Type: BD 48079, from a plant cultivated by N. Potts. Simpson has inadvertently given the locality as "Mineral belt, Nelson". Somewhat similar forms occur there, but have not been critically compared with the North Id plant. The variations in habit appears to be partly induced by differences in exposure and soil conditions.

A depressed or straggling shrub up to c. 1 m. tall; branchlets pubescent when young. Lvs solitary or in fascicles of 2-5, narrowly oblanceolate, apiculate, glab., ± 5 × 1·5 mm., on minute petioles. Fls ± 4 mm. diam. on pedicels ± 2 mm. long, solitary or in 2-5-fld cymes. Receptacles c. 2 × 2 mm., pubescent; sepals triangular, somewhat persistent; petals ± 2 mm. diam., suborbicular. Capsule exceeded by receptacle-rim.

DIST.: N. Known with certainty only from type locality: Rainbow Mountain near Waiotapu.

Shrubs with small lvs and fls are not uncommon in both islands. A thicket-forming plant of montane areas of Marlborough grows to a height of c. 1-2 m.; densely branched; branchlets ± virgate; lvs ± 4 × 1 mm., oblanceolate to narrow-obovate, obtuse to subacute; fls solitary or in few-fld cymes; receptacle ± 2 × 2 mm., hardly exceeding capsule.