Flora of New Zealand Series

H. dentata R. Br. var. alpina Kirk Stud. Fl. 1899, 44.

Type locality: Broken River Basin. Type: (lectotype of W. R. B. Oliver) W, T. Kirk no. 408.

Kirk's description is: " Depressed, 1 ft.-2 ft. high. Branches very short, rigid, stout, usually terminating in a stout spine. Bark whitish, lenticellate. Leaves less than 1/2 in. long, usually fascicled, very coriaceous, oblong-obovate; petioles very short. Flowers on very short straight peduncles. Sepals erosulate-ciliate. Petals broad, recurved. Anthers very broad, connective much produced, nearly entire; dorsal scale broadly cuneate. Style slender; stigmas 2, spreading. Fruit not seen. SOUTH Island: Alps of Canterbury and Otago. 2,000 ft. to 4,000 ft. A remark- able plant, forming a mass of very short stout spinous branches. Possibly a distinct species. Dec., Jan." Frs subglobose, ± 5 mm. diam., white ± purple-flecked.

DIST.: S. Montane to subalpine fellfield and rocky places, east of divide, from lat. 40° 30' to 45° 30'.

The forms with the habit of the type show a range of lf-form from narrow obovate to linear. Oliver (loc. cit.) includes under his conception the forms here placed under H. angustifolia. For discussion see "Polymorphy ".