Flora of New Zealand Series

Procumbent or decumbent perennial, us. much-branched, forming small patches up to c. 20 cm. diam. Lvs sessile, 4-9 × 1-3 mm., ovate-to obovate-oblong, ± glaucous; margins flat. Fls solitary or in few-fld cymes. Sepals oblong to ovate, obtuse to subacute, c. 2 mm. long; petals hardly > 2.5 mm. long. Capsule broad-ovoid, ± 2 mm. long; stamens free or nearly so.

DIST.: N., S., St. Lowland to montane, open places, margins of tarns and slow-flowing waters throughout.

FL. 11-12. FT. 11-2. Also in Tasmania, Australia and northward to Japan.

Small delicate forms appear to have the range of the sp. Lvs 2-3 × 0·5-1 mm., linear-lanceolate to very narrow-oblong; fls mostly solitary, small; capsule c. 2.5 mm. long. Possibly this is the H. pusillum of Choisy Prodr. Hyp. 1821, 50. H. lalandii Choisy in DC. Prodr. 1, 1824, 550 has also been recorded for N.Z. Both the N.Z. spp. need further study.