Flora of New Zealand Series

Type locality: S. Astrolabe Harbour (Lesson).

Stock woody; stems arcuate and woody at base, then erect, simple or branched, stout to slender, when young uniformly pubescent. Lvs opp. except in floral region, on slender petioles ± 5-10 mm. long. Lamina 15-35-40 × 10-20-(25) mm., ovate to broad-ovate to ovate-oblong or elliptic (sts a pair of small lflts are developed at the base of the petioles), membr., densely pubescent on both surfaces; margins finely to rather coarsely toothed, except towards base. Fls 5-6-(10) mm. diam.; calyx ± 5 mm. long, lobes lanceolate; petals ± 7 mm. long, obcordate,.pink to white. Capsules (25)-30-40-(50) mm. long, pubescent; peduncles 5-10-(15) mm. long, pubescent. Seeds minutely papillose.

DIST.: N., S., St., Ch. Lowland to subalpine rocks, dry ground, open grassland, fellfield from near North Cape southwards.

FL.- FT. 10-3.

Haussknecht describes 2 formae: (a) minor: stem low-growing, much branched; lvs small 10-15 × 8-10 mm., often erubescent; petioles 10-25 mm. long; (b) major: stem long, thicker, us. simple; lvs up to 5 × 2 cm., broadly rounded at apex; petioles 1-2.5 cm. long. There is no clear-cut distinction between these forms of the complex. More clearly separable are the following.