Flora of New Zealand Series

Ligusticum incisum Kirk Stud. Fl. 1899, 204.

Type locality: Broken River. Type: W, 2708, "limestone rocks, Trelissick [Basin] 16/1/1871, T.K."

Stems stout to rather slender, striate, up to c. 5 dm. tall; lamina narrow-oblong in outline, up to ± 20 cm. long, on petiole up to ± 10 cm. long; pinnae 5-10 pairs, flabellate to rhomboid in outline, distant, submembr., on petiolules up to ± 5 mm. long, or subsessile. Lamina of pinnae ± 20 × 25 mm., very deeply irregularly 3-(5)-lobed; lobes again deeply divided; final segs about oblong, rather abruptly narrowed to stiff hair-process. Umbel-bearing portion of stem very slender; bracts up to ± 2 cm. long, including delicate sheath and small lamina. Umbels compound, on slender peduncles up to c. 8 cm. long. Primary rays unequal, 5-10, very slender, up to 3 cm. long; involucral bracts few, filiform, secondary rays very short, up to 15. Umbellules c. 5-10 mm. diam. in fl.

DIST.: S. Occ. in montane grassland and rocky places in Canterbury, especially on limestone.

Simpson and Thomson (T.R.S.N.Z. 73, 1943, 160) remark that specimens collected by them on limestone at Woodside Creek, Marlborough appear to answer Kirk's description exactly.