Flora of New Zealand Series

Ligusticum lyallii Hook. f. Handbk N.Z. Fl. 1864, 95.

Type: K, Lyall.

Robust, up to c. 7 dm. tall; stem stout, grooved, branched, on stock up to ± 5 cm. diam. Lvs on stout grooved petioles up to ± 2 dm. long; sheaths broad, membr., tapering to apex, ± ligulate. Lamina 3-6 dm. × 10-15 cm., erect or spreading, 2-3-pinnatisect or -pinnate, linear-oblong to oblong. Primary pinnae 8-10-(14) pairs, distant, broad-oblong to deltoid, (2)-5-10cm. long, coriac., often (3)-5-(10) pairs; petiolules stout, grooved, up to 3 cm. long. Secondary pinnae on petiolules up to c. 1·5cm. long, irregularly deeply subpinnately cut into linear or narrow oblong, obtuse to subacute lobes lacking hair-processes (rarely a lobe may be apiculate). Umbels several to many, compound, (2)-5-(10) cm. diam. Bracts foliaceous; sheaths c. 3-5 × 1-2 cm., open, oblong, tapering to lamina ± 3-5cm. long. Peduncles very stout, deeply grooved. Primary rays 15-20.stout, striate, unequal, ± 1-3 cm. long; involucral bracts up to 1 cm. long, lanceolate to linear-oblong, acute to acuminate. Secondary rays < the 5-10 mm. long, linear-lanceolate involucral bracts. Calyx-lobes minute, triangular; petals white with very narrow brown medial stripe. Fr.(4)-5-6-(7) mm. long, sts > rays. Mericarps strongly 5-ribbed, us. distinctly winged.

DIST.: S., St. Rocky places near sea in Fiordland sounds and occ. in St.

FL. 11-1 FT. 1-3. Type locality; Preservation Inlet.

Hooker had only one specimen when he drew up his description, and compared it with A. antipoda, "but is not a yard high, and has much less compound leaves." Kirk (Stud. Fl. 1899, 201) remarks: "the plant appears to me only a form of L. intermedium with excessively divided leaves . . . Some pinnules kindly sent by Sir Joseph Hooker agree closely with L. intermedium from Preservation Inlet." Cheeseman (Man. N.Z. Fl.1925, 675) says: "This only differs from A. intermedia in the slightly larger size and more finely divided leaves, and might well be regarded as a variety."

I accept A. lyallii as a "good" sp. After some study in the type and adjacent localities I found the sp. to be plentiful and constant, well agreeing with the type. The name, also, has place priority over A. intermedia.