Flora of New Zealand Series

Mat-forming shrublet, usually < 10 cm tall; stems much-branched, ± interlacing, creeping and rooting; branchlets ± setose. Lvs alternate; petioles very short. Lamina usually 3-12 × 3-9 mm, elliptic, broadly elliptic to orbicular (the different forms sometimes all present on one plant), coriaceous; margins crenate to crenulate, sometimes entire, setose or glabrous; base cuneate to rounded; apex rounded, mucronulate or ± acute. Fls solitary in axils of uppermost lvs, subsessile; bracteoles 1-1.5 mm long, very broadly ovate. Calyx lobes 1.5-2 mm long, ovate-triangular, acute or subacute. Corolla ± urceolate; tube 1.5-2 mm long; lobes ± ovate, obtuse. Fr. 8-12 mm diam.; fruiting calyx fleshy, white, pink or red.

N.: Tararua Mountains ( var. depressa), Raukumara Range and Volcanic Plateau southwards ( var. novae-zelandiae D. Franklin); S.: N.W. Nelson, western side of Southern Alps, Dunedin area ( var. depressa), throughout in mountains ( var. novae-zelandiae); St.: ( var. novae-zelandiae).

Var. depressa also indigenous to Tasmania, var. novae-zelandiae endemic.

Montane to alpine grassland, herbfield, shrubland and rocky places, sometimes in bogs.

FL Nov-Feb.

Franklin (1962, loc. cit.) stated that his var. is sometimes connected by intermediates with var. depressa. However, some botanists consider the 2 vars specifically distinct with var. depressa mainly confined to tussock grassland. The 2 taxa may occur together and can only be reliably distinguished by lf margin characters; they are probably best merely treated as formae.