Flora of New Zealand Series

Aster holosericeus Forst. f. Prodr. 1786, 56.

Type locality: Dusky Sound. Type: P?

Large tufted herb with lvs all radical, sheaths imbricate around stout stem. Lamina (12)-15-20-(30) × (2.5)-4-5-(6·5) cm., coriac., oblong-to elliptic-lanceolate; upper surface glab.; lower surface densely clad in closely appressed white satiny tomentum, midrib prominent, dark; apex acute to subacuminate, us. distinctly apiculate; margins flat, rather distantly denticulate, narrowed to base or very short broad petiole. Sheath ± 4 × 1·5 cm., coriac., glab., ribbed. Scape stout to rather slender, angled or flattened, ± 18-30-(60) cm. long. Bracts linear-subulate, c. 25-35 mm. long (outer up to 50 mm.). Capitula (5)-6-7 cm. diam., subtending bracts similar to upper scape-bracts. Phyll. 10-15-(25) mm. long; inner narrow, glab., glandular-pubescent; outer broader, lanceolate, tomentose without. Ray-florets ∞, c. 25 mm. long, narrow; limb gradually widening to obtuse 3-toothed apex. Disk-florets tubular to funnelform, c. 7-8 mm. long. Achenes 5-6 mm. long, obovoid-compressed to subfusiform, densely clad in short ascending hairs. Pappus-hairs c. 5-7 mm. long, white to sordid-white, becoming rufous.

DIST.: S. Coastal to lowland to lower subalpine rocky places, grassland, herb-field in Fiordland.

The Forster specimens at BM consist of 3 scapes, the longest c. 39 cm. long. At K is a rosette with 3 scapes, one in fl.