Flora of New Zealand Series

E. parviflorum Simpson et Thomson in T.R.S.N.Z. 73, 1943, 159 non Schreb. Spicil. Fl. lips. 1771, 146.

E. pratense Simpson in T.R.S.N.Z. 79, 1952, 422.

Stock and main stems woody, us. much-branched, up to 25 cm. long; branchlets pale, slender, erect or ascending, bifariously pubescent. Lvs opp. except in floral region, sessile or nearly so, rather distant. Lamina ± 12-15 × 3-4 mm., pale green, ovate to ovate-oblong to elliptic, thin, glab.; margins rather distantly but distinctly denticulate. Fls ± 5 mm. diam.; calyx ± 3 mm. long, lobes ovate; petals white ± 4 mm. long. Capsules glab., pale green to erubescent, 20-40 mm. long; peduncles slender, 10-20 mm. long, glab. Seeds minutely papillose, with minute narrow process.

DIST.: N., S., St. Montane to subalpine riverbed, grassland and open ground from lat. 35° southwards.

FL.- FT. 11-2.

A whole complex of forms is found in herbaria under this name, and much further study is needed. Haussknecht based his sp. on specimens varying from Bay of Islands to Otago. I have not been able to see enough of this material to suggest a type with confidence. Forms well answering the original description and figure have been collected throughout the range given, justifying the retention of the sp.

The type (BD 72749, "Flagstaff Hill, near Dunedin, common in grassland on hills, G. Simpson") of E. parviflorum selected by the authors, well matches E. novae-zelandiae; others named E. parviflorum or E. pratense show differences.

Haussknecht compares his sp. with E. glabellum, but stresses the differences: stems and lvs pale; stems with ∞ opp. branches, sessile or subsessile lvs, much longer peduncles; seeds terminated by a minute, narrow process. The process is well seen in the type of E. pratense.