Flora of New Zealand Series

Type locality: Kowai R. Type: W, Kowai River, West Coast Road, C. 2200 ft.; D. Petrie, Jan. 1893.

Liane with slender stems and branches climbing over shrubs and small trees, or scrambling over rocks; branchlets grooved, ± pubescent when young. Lvs with petioles up to 3 cm. long, biternately or ternately branched. Lflts (0·5)-1-3-(4) × 0·5-2-(2.5) cm., subcoriac., ovate to ovate-oblong, obtuse, entire or with 1-2, rarely more, blunt lateral lobes, especially on terminal lflt; the larger lflts sts truncate at base. Infl. of axillary, solitary fls or few-fld panicles, on pubescent-pilose peduncles up to 2 cm. long. Bracts us. small, ovate, acute, ± connate at base; sts foliaceous, narrow-lanceolate, up to 1 cm. long. ♂ c. 3·5 cm. diam.; sepals 5-8, greenish yellow, up to 2 cm. long, ovate-oblong, pubescent; stamens ∞, filaments c. 1 cm. long; anthers c. 2 mm. long, narrow-oblong. ♀ up to 3 cm. diam.; sepals up to 1·5 cm. long, ovate-oblong, greenish yellow, pubescent. Achenes ∞, ovoid, 4-5 mm. long, dark red, margins strongly thickened, glab. when mature; styles c. 3 cm. long.

DIST.: S. River valleys, especially in upper reaches, from lat. 41° 30' to 43° 30', east of divide.

FL. 11-12. FT. 12-1.

HETEROBLASTY: Young plants have lflts 2-3 cm. long, linear-oblong, obtuse, us. with pair of basal linear lobes.