Flora of New Zealand Series

B. polita Kirk Stud. Fl. 1899, 261.

B. thomsonii var. polita (Kirk) Cheesem. Man. N.Z. Fl. 1906, 277.

Type: A, 9388, T. Kirk.

Similar to  var. membranifolia, but still more nearly glab.; stock rather stout, descending, up to c. 15 cm. tall, not or sparingly branched. Radical lvs rather few; lamina ± 30-35 × 15-20 mm., broad-ovate, thin, nearly glab., coarsely subpinnatifidly lobed; lobes obtuse, ± crenate, ± apiculate. Petiole thin, flat, ± 3 cm. long, with subamplexicaul base. Lower cauline lvs few, similar to radical, smaller; upper narrow-obovate, entire or nearly so, up to 20 × 9 mm. Scapes ± 15 cm. long, rather stout, erect or ascending, glandular-pubescent towards apex. Capitula c. 10 mm. diam., receptacle convex; phyll. oblong, thin, subglab., 4-5 mm. long; margins scarious. Ray-florets prominent, up to 6 mm. long, white. Achenes much-compressed, obovate-oblong in outline, 3-3·25 × 1-1·25 mm.; margins slightly thickened. Pappus of distinct minute bristles, sts early deciduous.

DIST.: S. Known only from type locality, Arthur Pass.