Flora of New Zealand Series

Type: CM, A. Wall, Jan. 1930; isotypes W 2382, W 2401.

Rosette-lvs 3-7 cm. × 5-9 mm., linear-spathulate to oblanceolate, lamina merging into broad ill-defined petiole, tip subacute to obtuse; hairs alike on both surfaces, uniformly stiff, straight, closely appressed, strongly overlapping to hide epidermis completely. Lateral branches erect, up to 18 cm. long, lfless below cyme, lower internodes < lvs. Stem-lvs 15-25 × 2-5 mm., narrow-oblong, tip subacute; hairs like those of rosette-lvs. Cymes us. once forked, ebracteate, many-fld, compact and 2-3 cm. long in fl., internodes and pedicels short. Calyx c. 8 mm. long, lobes c. 1/2 length, subacute; short appressed hairs forming close even silvery cover from which project long stiff hooked hairs that are most numerous towards the base. Corolla apparently deeply coloured, 8-10 mm. diam., tube 10-15 mm. long, narrow-funnelform, lobes c. 3 × 3 mm., ± oblong; filaments broad, fixed between scales, c. = anthers which are c. 2 mm. long and wholly above scales; style at least 2 × calyx, stigma capitate. Nutlets not seen.

DIST.: S. Known only from Ben More, Ure River, Marlborough, on limestone c. 4000 ft.

The species is named for Prof. Arnold Wall whose collection includes plants with unopened fl.-buds, plants in full fl. and one with old fr.-calyces. In habit and in shape of lvs the plants resemble M. angustata, corollas differ from those of M. macrantha only in that the lobes seem to spread more widely, while the even close silvery indumentum of lvs and stems almost exactly matches that of M. albo-sericea, and has not been seen in any other plant with "Exarrhena" fls. There is no record of any of these three spp. near the range where the new sp. was collected.