Flora of New Zealand Series

Type locality: "Mount Lyell, Buller Valley 3000-4000 ft." Type: A, 6431, W. Townson; a female plant.

Stock stout, simple or branched; taproot deeply descending; stem stout, up to c. 6 dm. tall. Lvs ± 3 dm. long, pinnate; pinnae 3-foliolate or the lowest again pinnate. Sheaths c. 5 × 1 cm., thin, tapering to spinous-pointed stipules up to 2 cm. long (stipules occ. vestigial). Petioles 3-5 cm. long; midrib stout, winged; lower internodes 2-3 cm. long, midrib prominent. Primary pinnae us. 3-6 pairs, up to c. 15 cm. long. Terminal lflt up to 14 cm. × 5-8 mm., striate, with strong reddish to yellow midrib; margins thickened, serrulate-crenulate, apex pungent. Stems of male plants stout, up to 6 dm. × 10 mm. including stout oblong infl. up to 3 dm. long. Bracts ∞, sheaths up to 4 cm. × 14 mm.; stipules rigid, ± 10 mm. long; lamina us. simple, ± 5 cm. × 2-3 mm. Umbels on very slender primary rays ± 10 mm. long; umbellules up to c. 5 mm. diam., on few capillary rays. Stems of female plants up to 6 dm. × 10 mm.; infl. more compact. Bract-sheaths ± 4 cm. × 10 mm.; stipules up to c. 10 × 2 mm., gradually narrowed to pungent apex; lamina on petiole up to 10 mm. long, with a pair of 3-foliolate lflts, somewhat squarrose; longest lflt up to c. 4 cm. long. Umbels ∞, ± concealed by bracts. Fr. ± 3-4 mm. long.

DIST.:S. Higher montane and subalpine, southwest Nelson and Westland.