Flora of New Zealand Series

Type locality: "Shores of the Keri Keri river, and in dry as well as in boggy grounds." Type: K, R. Cunningham, 1834.

Plant forming open to dense patches up to ± 15 cm. diam.; internodes up to ± 3 cm. long; branchlets us. reddish green, subtetragonous, weakly pubescent. Lvs opp., on petioles up to ± 3 mm. long; lamina suborbicular, truncate to subcordate at base, (4)-5-10-(12) mm.; ± fleshy, dull green above, paler below, glab.; margins ± revolute, obscurely, remotely denticulate. Fls 5-6 mm. diam.; calyx-lobes ovate-lanceolate, but little < petals, glabrate; petals 3-5 mm. long, white or very pale pink. Capsules 20-40 mm. long. ± clad in ash-grey pubescence; mature peduncles ± 50-40 mm. long, sparsely pubescent; seeds thinly papillose.

DIST.: Three Kings, N., S. Lowland riverbeds, open and rocky places throughout.

FL.- FT. 10-4.

Haussknecht describes a form umbrosa: lvs larger, more flaccid; lamina ovate-rotund or orbicular, ± 9 mm. diam. Dwarf forms with lvs ± 3 × 3 mm., capsules and peduncles ± 10 mm., also occur. Their status has not been worked out.