Flora of New Zealand Series

Andromeda rupestris Linn. f. Suppl. Pl. 1781, 237.

Brossaea rupestris (Linn. f.) O. Kuntze Rev. Gen. Pl. 1891, 388.

Type locality: Dusky Sound. Type:? There is a Forster specimen in K.

Branches erect or spreading, up to c. 1 m. tall; branchlets with scattered sparse to rather dense setose hairs, ± pubescent. Lvs on stout petioles up to c. 3 mm. long, lamina coriac., dull green above, paler below, 20-35-(45) × 6-10-(16) cm., ± apiculate, elliptic to elliptic-oblong to lanceolate-oblong (several forms on one plant; young plants sts have lvs of the larger dimensions); margins finely or occ. rather coarsely serrate. Fls in terminal and subterminal simple or sparingly branched racemes up to c. 8 cm. long, often paniculate; axis ± pubescent, pedicels 3-5 mm. long, pubescent at first curved. Bracteoles c. 2 mm. long, broad-ovate, subacute. Calyx deeply cut; lobes c. 3 mm. long, ovate-triangular, subacute, apiculate, minutely denticulate. Corolla urceolate; tube c. 3 mm. long, lobes broad-ovate, ± 1 mm. long, recurved. Anther-cells distinctly 2-awned, styles cylindric, c. 2 mm. long. Capsule ± 3-4 mm. diam., invested by dry persistent calyx.

DIST.: S. Montane to lower subalpine rocks, fellfield, shrubland and open places throughout, descending to near sealevel in southern part of range.

FL. 11-2. FT. 12-4.

The description of Linn. f. is "foliis oblongis alternis serrulatis. Habitat in Nova Zeelandia. Equ. Bäck. Flores huins non vidi." Burtt and Hill (loc. cit. 619) remark: "In the present paper the type of the species is considered to be the lanceolate-leaved form with rather long racemes, which is confined to the western side of the south Island (Cheeseman's var. lanceolata in part)." Truly lanceolate lvs are, however, rare in all the western forms I have seen, and never uniformly so on any of the many specimens examined; the teeth, however, appear rather constantly serrulate or serrate.