Flora of New Zealand Series

Rosette us. single, If-lamina broad-elliptic to orbicular, 1·5-4 × 1-3 cm., tip rounded and ± mucronate, petiole = or > lamina-length, narrow and rather well-defined; hairs short, stiff or ± flexuous, us. appressed, sparse and not overlapping, not retrorse on undersurface. Lateral branches few to many, ascending to erect, sts branched, up to 20-30 cm. long, internodes us. = or > lvs. Stem-lvs rather few, lower ones spathulate, upper sessile and broad-ovate, c. 10-15 mm. long, tip rounded and mucronate; hairs short, us. appressed, sparse on both surfaces. Cymes ebracteate, except sts towards base, ∞-fld, mostly simple; internodes between frs us. > calyx; pedicels up to 6 mm. long, 8 to stem in fr. Calyx (2*5)-4-(5) mm. long, lobes barely 1/2 length, rather broad, subacute; hairs sparse, mostly confined to margins and ribs, long and straight above, shorter and slightly hooked towards base. Corolla white, 2-5-6 mm. diam., tube 2-4 mm. long, cylindric but widest at mouth, lobes broadly rounded; filaments very short, fixed below scales, anthers c. 0*5 mm. long, tips to 1/2 length (sts all but base) above scales; style < calyx in fr., stigma capitate. Nutlets broadly rounded, c. 1·2 mm. long.

DIST.: N., S. Forest and streamsides from c. lat. 38° southwards.

FL. 10-4. FT. 11-5. Type locality:? Middle Island, Forster.

No authentic specimens have been seen to support early reports from Bay of Islands, but a flowerless plant from Maungakahia, Whangarei County, in Herb. Carse, could belong to this sp.

M. forsteri sens. lat. includes a rather wide range of forms and Cheeseman referred here several Colenso spp. that are represented in Herb. Colenso in W.

M. hamiltonii Col. in T.N.Z.I. 20, 1888, 201, "Stony edges of a watercourse on the Huiarau Mountain Range, running into Lake Waikare, County of Whakatane; 1887: Mr. A. Hamilton". Of four specimens (W 4745) one has appressed short sparse hairs and small anthers, the others show resemblances to specimens labelled M. tenuifolia.

M. polyantha Col. in T.N.Z.I. 31, 1899, 275, "Ruahine Mountain-range, east side; February 1898: Mr H. Hill". Of some 15 pieces, most clearly belong to M. forsteri, the others to M. venosa. The description includes some features from each, and the name is valueless.

M. tenuifolia Col. in T.N.Z.I. 31, 1899, 276, "Ruahine Mountain-range, east side; 1898: Mr. A. Olsen". Of the five plants (W 4747) the largest is only 8 cm. tall; hairs are rather spreading, fls small, anthers almost wholly above scales, styles mostly > calyx. Plants of similar appearance have been collected more recently on many North Id mountains but some have much larger fls, and relative lengths of filaments, of anthers and of styles vary; some large plants, up to 30 cm. tall, from the same mountains show similar minor differences from M. forsteri, together tending to bridge the gap between this sp. and M. venosa.