Flora of New Zealand Series

Original localities: "Northern Island. Marshy places, East Coast, and Ruahine Mountains, Colenso". Type: K(?). WELT 22564 in Herb. Colenso is without locality. Also in Tasmania, Victoria, and N.S.W.

Plant c. 15–40 cm. tall. Stem c. 2 mm. diam., in some plants sparsely and unevenly puberulous; upper internodes us. longer than stem lvs. Lower lvs us. crowded but not forming well-defined rosette; lamina to c. 5 × 1 cm., often shorter, elliptic, subacute, gradually narrowed into short, winged petiole. Cauline lvs 1–2, often 2–3 cm. long, ± foliaceous, sheathing, the uppermost sts reaching but rarely overtopping fl. Fl. solitary, erect. Dorsal sepal c. 2 cm. tall, apex acute and ± horizontal; lateral sepals papillose on the connate portion (as is the ovary), diverging at a narrow angle, tips caudate and overtopping galea. Petals only a little shorter than dorsal sepal, broad almost to tip. Labellum narrow-triangular, arched and protruding, apex narrowly obtuse, margins slightly upturned. Column shorter than labellum; stigma elliptic, slightly prominent.

DIST.: N. Scattered localities from c. 38º southwards. S. Records few: Marlborough, Canterbury, Otago, Southland, coastal and lowland.

Open scrub, banks and grassy places.

FL. (9)–10–12.