rhizome, 2–8 in. high, decumbent at the base and then erect or ascending, often reddish, simple or sparingly branched, usually with 2 or 4 pubescent lines. Leaves opposite or the upper ones alternate, densely crowded, ascending, ½–¾ in. long, narrow-oblong or oblong-obovate, obtuse or acute, narrowed into a short petiole, coarsely and remotely denticulate, glabrous or nearly so; lower ones often much reduced in size. Flowers crowded in the upper axils, hardly projeciing beyond the leaves, large, white, ⅓ in. diam. Calyx-lobes lanceolate, acute, much shorter than the petals. Stigma clavate. Capsules ½–¾ in. long, sessile or nearly so, stout, glabrous, rarely exceeding the leaves. Seeds papillose.—Monog. Epilob. 306, t. 21, f. 88; Kirk, Students Fl. 176.
South Island: Nelson—Clarence and Waiau Valleys, Travers! Mount Captain, Kirk! Lake Tennyson, T.F.C. Canterbury—Mount Torlesse, Petrie! T.F.C.; Craigieburn Mountains, Cockayne! Arthur's Pass and Upper Waimakariri, T.F.C.; Whitcombe's Pass, Haast! Otago—Lake District, Hector and Buchanan. 2000–4500 ft. January–February.
Apparently confined to dry shingle slopes. A well-marked plant, not easily confounded with any other. The large white flowers are almost hidden by the leaves, and the ripe capsules hardly protrude beyond them.
23. E. melanocaulon, Hook. Ic. Plant. t. 813.—Rootstock stout, hard and woody. Stems numerous, arcuate at the base and then erect, slender, rigid, wiry, simple, black or purplish-black, obscurely tetragonous, glabrous except 2 or 4 faint pubescent lines on the angles. Leaves numerous, usually close-set, opposite or alternate, ¼–⅔ in. long, uniform, narrow linear-oblong, obtuse or apiculate, sessile or very shortly petioled, rigid and coriaceous, usually dark-red, glabrous, deeply and coarsely toothed or almost lobed. Flowers sessile in the upper axils, small, erect, 15 in. diam., white or pink. Calyx-lobes ovate-lanceolate, acute, shorter than the petals. Stigma shortly clavate. Capsules ½–1 in. long, slender, purplish-black, glabrous; peduncles very short. Seeds papillose. Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 60; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 80; Haussk. Monog. Epilob. 307; Kirk, Students' Fl. 177.
Var. polyclonum.—Stems much more slender, branched. Leaves distant, spreading, not so deeply toothed. Flowers rather smaller.—E. polyclonum, Haussk. Monog. Epilob. 308, t. 20, f. 87a; Kirk, Students' Fl. 111.
North Island: Ruahine Range and mountains near Lake Taupo, Colenso! South Island: Abundant throughout in mountain districts. Var. polyclonum: Alpine localities in Canterbury and Otago, Travers! Buchanan! Petrie!
The typical form is one of the most easily recognised species of the genus, from the prominent characters of the numerous rigid simple purplish-black stems and small uniform deeply-toothed leaves.
24. E. rostratum, Cheesem. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. [[Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute/Volume 28/Article 54#534|xxviii. (1896) 534.—Stems numerous from a hard woody rootstock, 2–6 in. high, decumbent at the base and then erect, simple or branched, terete, wiry, grey with a short uniform pubescence. Leaves opposite or
