Flora of New Zealand Series

Type locality: Wairau Gorge, Nelson. Type: K, "Mountains Wairau Gorge fr. 4000-5500 ft. December. In dry rocky places in crevices of rocks. Travers." No. 4086 in A is presumably part of the original gathering. Endemic.

Plant several cm. across, branches robust, many, up to 8 cm. long or more, c. 1 cm. thick including lvs, with few side branches and easily separated from one another. Lvs densely imbricated all round stems and along their length, shining, firm, rounded on back, sheaths short and hidden; blade 5-7 mm. long, subulate, without obvious border or midrib, tapering gradually to long acicular point. Peduncles very short. Fls to 7 mm. long; sepals 5, subulate, firm, rounded on back, gradually tapering into long acicular points like those of lvs; stamens and styles short; capsule narrow, splitting into 5 narrow lobes 1/2-⅔ length of sepals when mature.

DIST.: N. Ruahine Range (Rangi-o-te Atua, BD 42318, V. D. Zotov; BD 74230, A. P. Druce). S. Mountains of Nelson and east side of main divide. On rock.

FL. 11-12. FT. 1-4.