Flora of New Zealand Series

Type locality: "Golden Downs near the head of the Aorere River". Type: Fig. 35 Buchanan in T.N.Z.I. 14, 1882, opp. p. 356. I have been unable to locate the Buchanan specimens.

Robust tufted ± viscid herb arising from us. simple stock up to ± 6 cm. long, pseudo-stem ± 6 cm. long. Lamina obovate-oblong to obovate-lanceolate, coriac., subacute to obtuse, us. apiculate; (8)-10-15-(20) × (3)-4-(5) cm.; upper surface glab., midrib and main veins evident; lower densely clad in appressed satiny white to pale buff tomentum, midrib stout, grooved, main veins evident through tomentum. Margins slightly upturned, sharply minutely toothed, narrowed to base, then suddenly widened to thinly coriac., glab., prominently ribbed sheath 4-5 × ± 2 cm. Scape stout, ± flattened, strongly ribbed, (15)-20-30-(45) cm. long. Bracts us. ∞, foliaceous, tomentum as in lvs, lower (25)-35-50 × 6-12 mm.; uppermost forming a pseudo-involucre. Capitula 35-40-(65) mm. diam. Phyll. ± viscid, outer ovate-oblong, foliaceous, similar to upper bracts; inner ± 12 × 2 mm., membr., viscid, ciliate. Ray-florets ∞, c. 15 mm. long, tube slender, limb narrow, gradually widening to 3-4-toothed apex. Disk-florets narrow-tubular to narrow-funnelform, c. 7 mm. long, teeth triangular. Anthers distinctly tailed. Achenes compressed narrow-cylindric, (2)-3-(4) mm. long, pilose on rather weak ribs. Pappus-hairs slender, up to c. 7 mm. long, minutely barbellate.

DIST.: S. Montane to subalpine grassland, herbfield from c. lat. 41° to a little south of 42°, mainly western Nelson.