Flora of New Zealand Series

Senecio hispidulus var. scaberulus Belcher loc. cit. 69.

E. hispidula Hook. f. Fl. N.Z. 1, 1853, 142 non DC. Prodr. 6, 1838, 296.

Type locality: Akaroa. Type: K.

Slender erect annual to biennial or winter-annual herb up to c. 6 dm. tall, us. sparingly branched below infl. Stems sulcate, hispid with short white hairs, c. 5 mm. diam. at base. Lower lvs with lamina c. (3)-5-10 × 1-3 cm. on subamplexicaul petiole < lamina; submembr., oblong to elliptic-oblong in outline, coarsely irregularly sharply dentate to dentately lobed, scabrid on both surfaces; mid laminae similar; upper laminae subsessile, tapering to auriculate base. Infl. us. ample, lax, subcorymbose. Capitula ∞, ± 6-8 mm. long, 5 mm. diam., calyculate with a few small bracteoles. Phyll. c. 12, c. 5 mm. long, linear, us. sparsely scaberulous on back, keeled, margins scarious, narrowed gradually to subacute apex. Florets up to ± 30; ♀ filiform, 4-toothed; perfect narrow-funnelform, 5-toothed. Achenes subcompressed, narrow-cylindric, c. 2 mm. long, scaberulous in grooves. Pappus-hairs fine, white, c. 5 mm. long.

DIST.: N., S., St. Lowland to lower montane grassland and open places throughout, mainly east of divide in S.