Flora of New Zealand Series

Type locality: "Mountains near Lake Tekapo, Canterbury, altitude 4,000 feet". Type: A, T. F. Cheeseman.

Subshrub forming dense low mats or cushions up to ± 2 m. diam., us. smaller; branches creeping and rooting, bark dark brown; branchlets slender, pubescent. Lvs densely crowded, sessile or subsessile, us. fascicled on short branchlets. Stipules rather broadly triangular, subacute, sheathing, pubescent, ciliolate. Lamina coriac., dark green above, paler below, ± pubescent, narrowly elliptic to obovate to oblong, cuneately narrowed to base, acute, (3)-5-(10) × 1-3 mm.; margins entire. Midrib alone evident or obscure. Fls greenish. ♂ solitary, terminal, ± 2 cm. long, filaments lengthening at anthesis; calyx obsolete or vestigial; corolla funnelform, lobes acute or subacute. ♀ solitary, terminal; calyx-teeth narrow-triangular; corolla tubular, short. Drupes purplish red or pale blue, globose, 6-8 mm. diam.

DIST.: N. Volcanic Plateau. S. Mount Arthur, Nelson, to Lake Wakatipu. Lowland to higher montane grassland, stream margins and rocky places.