Flora of New Zealand Series

Kelleria dieffenbachii Endl. Gen. Pl. Suppl. 4, 1847, 61.

D. macrantha Col. in T.N.Z.I. 22, 1890, 487.

Type locality: Mount Egmont. Type: K, Dieffenbach.

Plant forming dense to lax patches up to 25 cm. or more diam.; stems and branches prostrate and rooting, up to 3 mm. diam.; branchlets approximate, prostrate or ascending, glabrate, up to 5 cm. long. Lvs erect to appressed, sts incurved, 2.5-3·5 mm. long, obtuse, strongly concavo-convex, coriac., tapering from base 0·5-1 mm. wide; nerves prominent to obscure, margins ciliate, apex densely penicillate. Fls 3-8 per head; scales 4, sts 2-lobed or separated into 4 closely approximate pairs. Per. tube sparsely to densely pilose, 1·5-2.5 mm. long; lobes 1·5-2 mm. long, broad- to ovate-oblong, densely to sparsely pilose. Ovary ovoid, apex penicillate. Fr. ovoid, 1·5 mm. long.

DIST.: N., S., St. Montane to subalpine grassland and fellfield from lat. 36° 30' southwards.

HYBRIDISM

Forms have been collected suggesting hybridism between D. dieffenbachii, D. laxus and D. villosus, but no population studies have been made. Some of the diversity seen is due to the influence of diverse habitats.

FL.- FT. 12-3.