Flora of New Zealand Series

Small annual or sometimes perennial herb forming small to large moss-like mats; stems ± decumbent, rooting at nodes, freely branching from base, ascending to c. 3 cm towards tips. Lvs connate at base, 1-2.4 × 0.6-0.7 mm, 0.3-0.35 mm thick, ± triangular-lanceolate, flattened above, strongly convex and somewhat keeled below; apex acute or apiculate. Fls solitary in upper lf axils, star-like, 4-merous, 3.5-4 mm diam.; pedicels to c. 2 mm long, elongating to 3-(4) mm at fruiting. Calyx lobes 0.5-0.8 × 0.5-0.6 mm, triangular, acute to apiculate. Petals 1.6-1.8 × c. 1.2 mm, broadly elliptic-ovate, white, sometimes pink in centre, rounded, much > calyx. Scales c. 0.7 mm long, oblanceolate. Follicles smooth. Seed c. 0.5 mm long.

S.: Matiri Range (W. Nelson), E. Nelson, Marlborough, Canterbury, N. and C. Otago.

Endemic.

A few scattered localities; small lake and tarn margins, damp hollows in riverbeds and tussock land, 50-1100 m.

FL Jan-Mar.

Plants of C. multicaulis are often dark red and commonly grow in drier and more open places than the other small-leaved spp. in sect. Helophyton with which they are sometimes confused. This sp. was treated as Tillaea multicaulis Petrie by Allan (1961).