Flora of New Zealand Series

dropwort

Perennial herb, up to 80 cm tall at flowering, usually not branched except in infl.; stems glabrous, erect, arising from a woody, tuberous stock. Lvs pinnate, chiefly in basal rosette; petiole amplexicaul, up to 10-(18) mm long, pale, grooved, puberulent; blade narrowly oblong to oblanceolate, 100-150-(250) × 20-40 mm, divided into 8-18-(20) pairs of leaflets, interspersed with reniform, laciniate lobes; leaflets irregularly pinnatifid, to 20 mm long, glabrous on both surfaces or sparsely ciliolate, the lower surface slightly paler than upper; rachis glabrous except near base; stipules short, laciniate, adnate to petiole at base; cauline lvs smaller. Infl. terminal, up to 20 cm long and usually about the same width; primary branches ± erect, purplish, grooved, glabrate. Fls shortly pedicellate, usually 6-merous. Sepals fused at base; lobes c. 1.5 mm long, oblong, obtuse, rose-flushed, reflexed after flowering. Petals broadly obovate, c. 5 mm long, rounded, creamy white. Stamens numerous, c. = petals. Fr. of erect, inward curving, prominently hispid achenes, 3.5-5 mm long.

N.: Auckland (Waikumete), Wellington (Feilding, Wellington City); S.: Canterbury (Christchurch).

Europe, N. and C. Asia 1944

Lawns, edges of roads and paths, cemeteries.

FL Nov-Jan.

The name F. vulgaris takes precedence over F. hexapetala Gilib., although the latter is sometimes used for N.Z. plants. The sp. is commonly grown in gardens and is likely to occur as a casual in urban areas in addition to those mentioned. A double form is also grown but has not been collected wild.