Olearia colensoi Hook.f.
Type locality: Mount Hikurangi. Type: K, 195 Colenso, 1844.
Shrub up to 3 m. tall; branchlets stout, clad in white to buff tomentum. Lvs 8-20 × 3-6 cm. including short petiole up to 5 mm. long, obovate to obovate-oblong, acute to subacute, coriac., irregularly serrate, glab. above when mature and ± rugose, clad in dense white to buff or fulvous appressed tomentum below. Racemes up to 20 cm. long, with lanceolate tomentose bracts subtending pedicels. Capitula 2-3 cm. diam.; phyll. in 1-2 series, linear, glab. or nearly so, up to 1 cm. long; florets all tubular, ♀ in one row; achenes compressed, pilose, 4 mm. long, grooved; pappus-hairs up to 6 mm. long, dull white.
DIST.: N., S., St., Solander Id. Montane to subalpine scrub from lat. 38° southwards, descending to sealevel in southernmost part of range.
Fl. 11-1. FT. 12-2.
The type (t. 29) has rather lax fulvous tomentum and racemes elongate.