Flora of New Zealand Series

Micromeria cunninghamii Benth. Lab. Gen. Sp. 1832, 730.

Mentha consimilis Col. in T.N.Z.I. 18, 1886, 264.

Type locality: "On wet ground at the village of Mangamuka on the Hokianga River." Type: K, R. Cunningham, 1833.

Stems several to ∞, very slender, clad in patent hairs, branched, arising from a slender branching rhizome or (occ.) stolons, forming loose patches up to c. 2 dm. diam. Lvs sessile or on petioles up to 2 mm. long; lamina (4)-7-12 × (3)-5-11 mm., gland-dotted, ± hairy; broad-ovate to broad ovate-oblong, entire or with a pair of minute notches, subtruncate at base. Fls axillary, solitary or in 2-3-fld cymes, fragrant. Peduncles slender, pubescent, up to c. 4 mm. long. Calyx us. villous, ± campanulate; teeth narrow-triangular. Corolla-lobes ± equal, white, spreading, upper ± bifid. Stamens hardly exserted.

DIST.: N., S., St., Ch. Frequent in lowland to higher montane grassland and rather open places throughout.

M. consimilis of Colenso (loc. cit.) was described from plants collected in: "Dry grassy spots, margins of woods near Norsewood . . . 1882-85. W.C." The specimen in K appears to be a rather starved form with lvs mostly < 5 mm. long, calyx c. 3 mm. long; "corolla lobes large, flat, spreading, elliptic, very obtuse, slightly crenulate and waved". Similar forms are not uncommon at the higher altitudes of its range.