Page:Manual of the New Zealand Flora.djvu/356

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316
COMPOSITÆ.
[Celmisia.

Mount Alta, Hector and Buchanan! Hector Mountains, Humboldt Mountains, Mount Tyndall, the Remarkables, Petrie! Mount Earnslaw, H. J. Matthews. 4500–6500 ft. January–February.

Apparently a very distinct species, at once recognised by the small densely imbricated linear-obovate leaves and rather large heads.


36. C. Macmahoni, T. Kirk in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxvii. (1895) 327.—Tufted, forming small patches. Leaves numerous, crowded, rosulate, 1–1½ in. long including the sheath, linear-oblong, acute or subacute, thick and coriaceous, densely clothed on both surfaceswith long white or buff silky hairs, 5–7-nerved beneath, margins flat; sheaths short, about as broad as the blade, glabrous above, with silky hairs beneath. Scapes stout, 3–5 in. long, densely villous with long silky hairs; bracts very numerous, narrow-linear. Head ¾–1 in. diam.; involucral bracts numerous, linear, acute or acuminate, outer villous, inner hispid with short brownish hairs. Rays short, broad. Achene hispid.—Students' Fl. 291.

South Island: Marlborough—Mount Stokes, alt. 3800ft., rare, MacMahon! January.

A beautiful little plant, apparently with a very restricted distribution. I have seen no specimens except those gathered by Mr. MacMahon.


37. C. parva, T. Kirk in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxvii. (1895) 328.—Small, densely tufted, seldom more than 2–3 in. high. Leaves numerous, spreading; blade ⅓–1 in. long, 1/81/4 in. broad, linear-lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate or narrow-oblong, acute, narrowed into a rather slender petiole and then expanded into a membranous cottony sheath as long as the blade, subcoriaceous, glabrous and often reticulated above, beneath clothed with white appressed tomentum; midrib usually evident; margins flat or slightly revolute, distinctly denticulate. Scape 1½–3 in. high, very slender, glabrate or slightly cottony; bracts 2–3, small, narrow-linear, sheathing and dilated at the base. Head ½–⅔ in. diam.; involucral bracts linear-lanceolate, acute, scarious, often reddish at the tips, glabrate or the outer slightly pilose. Rays narrow. Achene hispid.—Kirk, Students' Fl. 291.

South Island: Nelson—Mountains at the source of the Heaphy River, Dall! December–January.

A very curious little plant. Mr. Dall's specimens are the only ones I have seen.


38. C. sessiliflora, Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Fl. 135.—Much-branched at the base; each branch clothed with densely imbricating leaves, and forming a hard rosette 1–1½ in. diam., the rosettes usually compacted into broad flat patches 2–3 in. thick. Leaves very numerous, greenish-grey, most densely crowded, ⅓–1 in. long, about 1/12 in. broad, narrow-linear or linear-subulate, obtuse or subacute, strict, rigid and coriaceous, hoary or silky on both surfaces,