Flora of New Zealand Series

summer cypress

Much-branched, densely bushy annual, to c. 1 m tall; shoots erect, villous when young. Lvs alternate, 1.5-7 × 0.5-4 mm, narrow-linear or linear, hairy below, almost glabrous above, sometimes reddish purple; midrib raised below, conspicuously long-ciliate; base attenuate; apex subacute or acute. Fls solitary to few in upper lf axils, 1-1.5 mm long, green; axis elongating to form short spikes. Perianth segments ovate, shortly ribbed; apex broad-triangular and incurved. Filaments glabrous; anthers pink. Stigmas long-filiform, hairy, almost = stamens. Pericarp membranous. Seeds 1.5-2 mm diam., dark.

S.: Canterbury (especially vicinity of Christchurch and Lincoln), C. Otago (Alexandra, Cromwell).

E. Europe to China 1958

Waste land, riverbeds.

FL Dec-Feb.

Summer cypress is cultivated as an ornamental foliage plant and spontaneous plants are sometimes found in dry stony places near gardens. Most wild plants can probably be referred to f. trichophila Schinz et Thell. Occasional wild plants are red.