Flora of New Zealand Series

V. cunninghamii var. gracilis Hook. f. Fl. N.Z. 1, 1852, 16.

Erpetion spathulatum A. Cunn. in Ann. nat. Hist. 4, 1840, 110 non G. Don Gen. Syst. Gard. & Bot. 1·, 1831, 335.

Type locality: Auckland. Type: K, Sinclair.

Glab. tufted herb up to 15 cm. tall; stems sts branched, sts producing off-set plants; main roots deeply descending; stock slender to rather stout, sts multicipital. Lvs on petioles up to 10 cm. long; stipules linear to linear-spathulate, obtuse, up to 1 cm. long. Lamina (5 mm.)-1-3 × (8 mm.)-1-3 cm., crenulate, broad ovate to suborbicular, deeply to shallowly cordate at base. Fls 1-2 cm. diam., on slender flattened ped-uncles up to ± 15 cm. long; bracts linear-lanceolate to narrow-oblong, entire or nearly so, placed above .middle, often close under fls. Sepals linear to narrow-oblong, often acuminate, 3-5 mm. long; petals white streaked with lilac and yellow ± 1 cm. long. Capsule 7-9 mm. long; seeds pale.

DIST.: N., S. Lowland to subalpine damp places from lat. 35° southwards.

FL. 10-1. FT. 11-2.

CLEISTOGAMY

Since Thomson's pioneering paper (T.N.Z.I. 11, 1879, 415-417) little attention has been given to cleistogamic fls in our spp., but from this and other features they would repay intensive study. Thomson describes and illlustrates the phenomenon in V. filicaulis and V. cunninghamii.