crowded at the tips of the branches, erect, or spreading when young, strict, 3–10 in. long, narrow linear-subulate; sheathing base ⅓–⅔ in. long and as wide, brown, striate, margins scarious, ciliate; blade ⅛–⅙ in. broad at the base, gradually tapering into a long acuminate pungent tip, concave, rigid and coriaceous, striate, often pubescent; above, margins entire or minutely serrulate. Racemes terminal on short lateral branchlets or rarely ending the main branches, strict, erect or inclined, 1½–2½ in. long, 6–15-flowered. Bracts numerous, a large foliaceous one at the base of each pedicel and 2–4 equalling the calyx at the base of each flower. Flowers white, ¼–⅓ in. long. Sepals ovate-lanceolate, acute, ciliate, almost equalling the corolla-tube. Corolla campanulate; lobes ovate-triangular, inflexed at the tip. Anthers included. Capsule ⅙ in. diam., enclosed within the persistent sepals.—A. Rich. Fl. Nouv. Zel. 219; A. Cunn. Precur. n. 413; Raoul, Choix, 44; Hook. f. Fl. Antarct. i. 45, t. 31, 32; Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 169; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 182; Kirk, Forest Fl. i. 109. D. Lyallii, Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 169. Epacris longifolia, Forst. Prodr. n. 68.
North Island: East Cape district, Bishop Williams! Adams and Petrie! Ruahine Mountains, A. Hamilton! Tararua Mountains, J. Buchanan! South Island: Not uncommon in mountain districts throughout. Stewart Island: Abundant, Petrie! G. M. Thomson! Kirk! Auckland and Campbell Islands: Forming a considerable proportion of the ligneous vegetation, Hooker, Kirk! F. R. Chapman! Sea-level to 4000 ft. Inanga; Grass-tree. November–March.
A very variable plant. In its extreme state, which is best seen in the sounds of the south-west coast of Otago, in Stewart Island, and in the Auckland Islands, it forms a tree sometimes 30 ft. in height, with leaves often a foot in length; but in open mountain districts in the South Island it is rarely more than a few feet high, with much shorter and narrower leaves. This form is difficult to separate from some varieties of D. Urvilleanum; in fact, there does not appear to be any strict line of demarcation between the two species.
9. D. Urvilleanum, A. Rich. Fl. Nouv. Zel. 221.—A much or sparingly branched shrub 4–8 ft. high; branches slender, erect; bark black or dark chestnut-brown. Leaves very variable, slender, often flexuous, erect, 1–5 in. long; sheathing base ⅛–¼ in. broad, brown, striate, membranous, truncate or auricled at the tip, margins scarious, ciliate; blade very narrow, 120–110 at the base, coriaceous, concave or canaliculate above, triquetrous or nearly so at the tip, margins minutely denticulate. Racemes on short lateral branchlets, rarely ending the main branches, strict, erect, ½–1½ in. long, 4–12-flowered. Flowers small, white or red, ⅕–¼ in. long. Sepals ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, as long as or longer than the corolla-tube. Corolla-lobes rather narrow. Anthers included. Capsule ⅛–⅙ in. diam., enclosed within the persistent sepals.—Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Fl. 182.
