Flora of New Zealand Series

Astelia microspermum Col. in T.N.Z.I.  17,  1885,  251  pro parte. 

A. albicans Col. in T.N.Z.I.  17,  1885,  252.

A. graminifolia Col. in T.N.Z.I.  19,  1887,  267.

Type locality: "Waipawa, Seventy miles bush between Norsewood and Danneverke". Type: K, W. Colenso.

Tufted plants with general habit of C. hastatum. Lvs c. 40–150 × (0.7)–1–2.5 cm.; sheath nigrescent towards base, with narrow basal band of white scales; lamina as in C. hastatumC. hastatum but proportionately narrower. Infl. arching out from fan of lvs; peduncle c. = panicle; panicle of 4–8 racemes. Male racemes c. 4.5–6 × 2.5 cm.; fls whitish, occ. pink towards base; per.-segs 9–13 × 1.5–2–(2.5) mm., narrow-oblong, the surfaces exposed in bud scaly; stamens c. 8.5 mm. long; ovary c. 2 mm. diam. Female racemes c. 3–15 × 1.5–2 cm.; fls whitish; per.-tube c. 3 mm. long, cup-shaped; per.-segs c. 2.5 × 1 mm.; ovary subglobose, narrowed abruptly into short style. Fr. c. 4.5 mm. diam., globose, milky white, cupped in thin membr. per.-tube. Seeds ∞, c. 1 × 0.8 mm., ± curved, black, shining, with short pointed funiculus carrying fragments of hairs only. n = 35.

DIST.: N.

Forests above c. 300 m. altitude. Epiphytic, occ. terrestrial.

FL. 11–2. FT. 2–6.

Astelia microspermum was based on a mixture of 2 spp. and Colenso's description referred partly to specimens of C. hastatum but mainly to the single fruiting specimen which Skottsberg chose as lectotype. These frs show, in the pericarp, a large duct immediately inside each of the 3 median vascular bundles, a feature apparently peculiar to this sp.

Astelia albicans was based on male and female plants from "east slopes of Ruahine mountain range, County of Waipawa", and A. graminifolia on a single specimen from "Woods, hilly country north of Napier, County of Wairoa"; the types of both are at K and are figured by Skottsberg.

Astelia planifolia Col. in T.N.Z.I.  20,  1888,  209 from "forests, Pohue, hilly country west of Napier, Hawke's Bay, growing in rather small tufts on rotten logs" does not seem to be represented by any specimen. The description, based on one plant with a small female infl., suggests Collospermum.

In cultivation fls of C. microspermum appear a month earlier than those of C. hastatum and are distinguished not only by paler colour and shorter racemes, but also by a strong and peculiarly unpleasant odour, quite unlike the faint fragrance of C. hastatumC. hastatum fls.

REJECTED SPECIES

Collospermum spicatum (Col.) Skottsb. in K. svenska Vet. Akad. Handl.  14,  1934,  80. Astelia spicata Col. in T.N.Z.I.  14,  1882,  335. Colenso's sp. was based on a female plant from "forests about Kopua and Norsewood"; type: K, W. Colenso. Moore (N.Z. J. Bot. 4. 1966, 232), from observations on cultivated plants over some years, concluded that "the characters attributed to C. spicatum are those shown in plants of both C. hastatum and C. microspermum flowering when they are very small, either as seedlings or when growing under very adverse conditions". Very small infls tend to be produced sporadically throughout the year rather than during the normal summer months of flowering.

Astelia nana Carse in T.N.Z.I.  57,  1926,  91 falls into synonymy under C. spicatum. It was based on plants from Kaiaka (Mangonui Co.), Maungatapere (Whangarei Co.), and Mauku (Franklin Co.).