Flora of New Zealand Series

Stoloniferous perennial; stems 1-2, ascending, simple, 1-6 cm tall. Lvs mostly basal; basal lvs cuneate to short petiole, densely white-tomentose on lower surface except mid-vein, usually glabrous or almost glabrous, sometimes sparsely tomentose on upper, usually plane, rarely folded, elliptic to narrow-obovate, obtuse to acute, usually mucronate, 5-15-(30) × (1)-2-4-(5) mm; cauline lvs 1-3-(5), scalelike, scarcely reduced upwards, ovate-triangular, amplexicaul. Capitula 1-2 mm diam., solitary; subtending lvs 0; scape amongst lvs at flowering, filiform and exceeding lvs at fruiting. Involucral bracts elliptic-oblong, obtuse, 3.2-4-(4.5) mm long; stereome green, often tinged reddish purple at apex; lamina pale to mid brown, with darker markings at base; gap and margins clear or tinged reddish purple. Achenes sparsely papillate, 0.7-1 mm long.

N.: south of 39°; S.: Nelson, Marlborough, Canterbury, Otago; St.

Endemic.

Lowland to subalpine damp places, especially stream sides and damp hollows in grassland, cliffs and rocky places.

Plants described here were included by Allan (1961) within a broader concept of G. paludosum and recognised by Drury (1972, op. cit.) as G. paludosum var. polylepis. G. polylepis differs from G. paludosum sens. strict. in the usually flat, generally broader lvs, more numerous ⚥ florets [(2)-4-7], more numerous, shorter bracts, and shorter achene hairs. Stewart Id and Fiordland plants differ from those typical of the North and South Is in having narrower basal lvs, more cauline lvs, and longer achene hairs more like those of G. paludosum. Plants of both G. paludosum and G. polylepis in this area need further examination. The lvs of G. polylepis are usually flat, but plants from riverbanks and damp hollows in tussock grassland on Mt Egmont, Mt Ruapehu, Kaimanawa Mountains and Ruahine Range have narrow folded lvs and yet are referable to G. polylepis in bract and achene characters. Such plants are also more similar to G. polylepis than to G. paludosum in their range of habitats.