Flora of New Zealand Series

"A very small slender erect herb. Roots rather short, flat, white, semi-transparent, hair-like, with small scattered globular hyaline bladders . . . Leaves few (2-3), basal, linear-spathulate, obtuse, 1-nerved, entire, 6-8 lines long . . . Scape 2-31/2 inches high, simple, filiform; flowers 1 . . . rarely 2 . . . bracts at top of scape 5, ovate-acuminate, sepals large, inflated, sub-orbicular . . . corolla purple, strongly veined, 3-4 lines diameter, upper lip small, cuneate, retuse, the lower one somewhat circular in outline (i.e., presenting the broad segment of a circle), entire.

"HAB. 'In swampy grounds at Tapuaeharuru,' interior (Taupo District), 1880: Mr. A. Hamilton.

"Obs.-This species seems to have some slight affinity with U. lateriflora . . ."

The citation is from Colenso's description. He remarks: "I find it almost an impossibility to dissect it satisfactorily when in a dried state, particularly when the specimens have been closely pressed." Cheeseman (Man. N.Z. Fl. 1925, 848) treats the name as an absolute synonym of U. novae-zelandiae.