Flora of New Zealand Series

Prostrate or semi-prostrate perennial herb, often mat-forming. Stems trailing or decumbent, often purple, farinose especially when young. Lvs mainly alternate, ± fleshy. Petiole to 1.5-(2) cm long, slender. Lamina 4-20-(33) × 2-10-(23) mm (lvs smallest at base or amongst glomerules), ovate-hastate, triangular-hastate, ovate or elliptic, entire except for a basal lobe on each side, ± grey or glaucous; margins sometimes purplish; base truncate to broad-cuneate; apex rounded to acute. Infl. farinose; fls terminal and forming ± spike-like clusters, or axillary and in fascicles of few-flowered glomerules. Perianth segments (0.3)-0.5-0.6 mm long at anthesis, linear, spathulate, ovate-oblong, with keel green and margin membranous, becoming c. 1 mm long at fruiting, loosely investing and not meeting laterally or in centre of fr. Stamens usually 2. Pericarp thin, not succulent or red, inconspicuous, easily detached. Seed horizontal, c. 0.8-1-(1.5) mm diam., circular and flattened; testa black, shining, finely granular.

FL Jan-Dec.

Two subspp., 1 native and 1 naturalised, are present in N.Z.