Flora of New Zealand Series

C. uniflora var. suteri (Col.) Simpson loc. cit. 275.

Type locality: "near Mount Cook Hermitage, alt. 2540 ft.! Creeping upwards over stones amongst tussocks." Type: W, in herb. Colenso, H. Suter.

A very slender dwarf shrub spreading by very slender rhizomes, forming lax to rather compact patches up to c. 8 cm. tall. Branchlets up to 5 cm. × 1 mm., us. narrow, slightly compressed, finely striate, spreading, obtuse to subacute at apex. Fls 1-(2) on glab. peduncles, c. 8 mm. long, bracteoles minute; colouring much as in C. uniflora. Calyx-teeth obtuse to subacute; standard suborbicular; wings oblong, rounded. Ovary glab. Pods obliquely elliptic-oblong, 10-(15) × 3-(4) mm., ± wrinkled. Seeds 2-4-(6), reniform, purplish black.

DIST.: S. Lowland to montane grassland and open places in dry to wet areas from lat. 43° to 45° 30'.

Kirk (Stud. Fl. 1899, 109) and Cheeseman (Man. N.Z. Fl. 1925, 516) treat the name as an absolute synonym of C. uniflora Kirk, as they do C. uniflora Buchan. in T.N.Z.I. 16, 1884, 395. Buchanan's description is: "A very small rambling glabrous shrub, rooting at the nodes, branches erect, leaves fascicled, 1/2-3/4 inch long and 1/30 inch broad, striate 1-3. Flowers 1/5 inch long, single, on slender glabrous peduncles, with 2 minute bracteoles near the middle; calyx glabrous; teeth distinct, hooked; ovary glabrous. This minute species is not uncommon in the Waitaki Valley". I have not seen Buchanan's specimens, but the description fits suteri, which sts has the rhizomes appearing above-ground. The whole Suterella complex needs still further study.