South Island: Canterbury—Arthur's Pass and source of the Poulter River, Cockayne! Westland—Source of the Otira, Kelly's Hill, Mount Alexander, Cockayne! Otago—Cosmos Peaks, Lake Wakatipu, H. J. Matthews! 3000–4500 ft. December–January.
Allied to O. cæspitosa, but distinguished by the larger size, much larger ovate-spathulate long-petioled leaves, and larger flowers.
6. O. cæspitosa, Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 198.—Forming broad matted patches. Stems often much branched, 2–6 in. long or more, creeping and rooting, stout or rather slender, leafy, glabrous or sparingly pilose or tomentose; branches short, ascending. Leaves close-set, spreading and recurved, usually distichous, ⅙–⅓ in. long, obovate-spathulate, obtuse, narrowed into a short broad sheathing petiole or almost sessile, coriaceous or almost fleshy, bright-green, glabrous or the margins of the petioles ciliate, entire or more usually with 1–3 deep notches or crenatures. Peduncles strict, erect, 1–3 in. long, 1–5-flowered, glabrous, as are the bracts, pedicels, and calyces. Bracts 1 or 2 pairs, similar to the leaves; pedicels slender. Flowers ½–⅔ in. diam., white. Calyx ¼ in. long, 5-partite; segments oblong or linear-oblong, obtuse, often dilated at the tip. Corolla-tube broad, rather longer than the calyx; lobes broad, rounded. Capsule ⅕ in. long, ovate-oblong.—Handb. N.Z. Fl. 219.
Var. gracilis, Hook. f. l.c. 738.—Much more slender. Leaves smaller, 110–16 in. long. Peduncles slender, 1–2-flowered; bracts small. Flowers smaller, ⅓–½ in. diam. Calyx-segments linear-oblong.
North Island: Summit of Mount Hikurangi, Adams and Petrie! Ruahine Mountains, Colenso! Petrie! Tararua Mountains, T. P. Arnold! W. Townson! South Island: Not uncommon in mountainous localities from Nelson to Otago. Stewart Island: Summit of Mount Anglem, Kirk! 3000–6500 ft. December–February.
A pretty little plant, easily recognised by the matted habit, small bright-green almost glabrous leaves, and glabrous peduncle, bracts, and calyces.
7. O. prorepens, Petrie in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxv. (1893) 272.—Stems rather slender, branched, creeping and rooting, 2–4 in. long, glandular-hairy. Leaves close-set, spreading, distichous, ⅓–⅔ in. long, obovate, rounded at the tip, narrowed into a broad thin petiole at the base, crenate, densely glandular-pilose above, almost glabrate with the veins conspicuous beneath. Peduncles erect, 2–4 in. high, sparingly glandular-pubescent, 3–6-flowered. Bracts 1 or 2 pairs, similar to the leaves, nearly glabrous; pedicels slender. Flowers large, ¾ in. diam., white. Calyx about ¼ in. long, 5-partite; segments oblong, obtuse, sparingly glandular-pubescent. Corolla-tube longer than the calyx; lobes broad, rounded. Ripe capsules not seen.
South Island: Otago—Mount Bonpland, Petrie! Mount Kyeburn, H. J. Matthews! 4000–5000 ft.
