Flora of New Zealand Series

L. sisymbrioides subsp. kawarau (Petrie) Thell. loc. cit., 313.

Type: W, Petrie. FL. 10-12. FT. 11-1.

Glab. to sparsely hairy erect-branching dioec. herb up to 30 cm. or more tall; stock stout, branched above; taproot deeply descending. Radical lvs 7-15 cm. long, linear-oblong in outline, pinnatifid to pinnate, with scarious sheathing bases; pinnules linear, entire to sparingly acutely lobed. Cauline lvs shorter, subsessile, upper ones narrow-linear, entire or toothed. Racemes several, terminal; fls minute on subpatent slender peduncles 3-4 mm. long. Sepals broad-ovate ± 1 mm. long; petals 0 or rudimentary. ♂ with 4-6 stamens, ovary rud.; ♀ with staminodes. Silicles ovate to ovate-oblong in outline, notched, 3-5 mm. long; styles slightly exserted. Seeds compressed-ovoid, ± 2 mm. long, yellowish brown.

DIST.: Type locality: Kawarau River near Gibbston.

Var. dubium Kirk Stud. Fl. 1899, 36 was described by Kirk from specimens collected at "Earthquakes near Duntroon" by Petrie. His specimens were poor and he thought that "better material might render it necessary to raise this puzzling plant to specific rank." His description includes: "Erect, very leafy, scabrid, 1 ft. high or more, sparingly branched above; the branches short, or long and spreading . . . cauline [lvs] shorter, sessile on broad bases, pinnatifidly toothed . . . Petals 2-4, narrow . . . seeds broadly oblong, brown".