Flora of New Zealand Series

Forstera clavigera Hook. f. Fl. Antarct. 1, 1844, 38, t. 28.

F. aretiastrifolia Homb. et Jacq. ex Decne in Voy. Pôle Sud 1853, 34, t. 16 C.

Type locality: Lord Auckland Is. Type: K, J. D. Hooker.

Cushions up to ± 5 cm. tall. Lvs concavo- to plano-convex, linear-oblong, ± 5 mm. long, gradually narrowed from base ± 2 mm. wide, then rather abruptly thickened to apical knob hardly 1 mm. diam. Pore on back near apex. Fls ± 2-4 mm. long; calyx-lobes 5-6, linear-oblong, obtuse, ± ciliate at apex; corolla white, lobes 5-7, obovate. Column rather stout, very slightly exserted. Capsule turbinate, seeds 6-8.

DIST.: S., A., C. Subalpine herbfield, fellfield, rocky places from about lat. 42° 30' southwards. Sorensen (D.S.I.R. Cape Exped. Ser. Bull. 7, 1951, 33) for Campbell Id, gives: "Grows from sea-level to high on the hills. Very common on peat bogs and low ridges between hills."

FL. 10-3. FT. 12-4.

Cheeseman (Man. N.Z. Fl. 1906, 391) states that P. colensoi "appears to pass imperceptibly into P. clavigera, and should be regarded as a variety of that species." Cockayne and Allan (Ann. Bot., Lond. 48, 1934, 45) suggest with doubt that the two spp. may hybridize. No real evidence has been brought forward so far.