1. P. longifolia, Banks and Sol. ex Wikstr. in Vet. Akad. Handl. Stockh. (1818) 280.—A small erect much-branched shrub 2–5 ft. high, perfectly glabrous except the inflorescence and sometimes a minute tuft of hairs at the tips of the young leaves; bark dark reddish-brown. Leaves crowded, opposite, spreading or suberect, 1–3 in. long, ⅓–¾ in. broad, oblong- or elliptic-lanceolate to lanceolate, acute or acuminate, narrowed into a very short petiole, coriaceous, flat, smooth, midrib and lateral veins distinct beneath; floral leaves similar or slightly broader. Flowers in compact many-flowered heads terminating the branches, sessile, sweetscented, white or white tinged with rose, polygamo-diœcious. Receptacle villous. Perianth densely silky-villous; males the largest, ½–¾ in. long, with exserted anthers on slender filaments and a rather short style with small capitate stigma. Females smaller and narrower; anthers smaller, on short filaments, usually without pollen; style longer, with a larger capitate and papillose stigma. Fruit dry with a membranous epicarp, included in the swollen base of the perianth.—Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 220; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 242; Benth. Fl. Austral. vi. 7. Passerina longifolia, Thunb. Mus. Nat. Acad. Upsal. xiii. 106.
Var. lanceolata.—Leaves narrower, 1–2 in. long, ⅙–¼ in. broad, linear-lanceolate. Flowers smaller.—P. lanceolata, Col. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxii. (1890) 483 (male). P. similis, Col. l.c. (female). P. angulata, Col. l.c. xviii. (1886) 265 (a form with occasionally 3 or 4 stamens).
North Island: Not uncommon throughout. South Island: Nelson—From Collingwood southwards to Westport. Sea-level to 3000 ft. Taranga. October–December.
2. P. Gnidia, Willd. Sp. Plant. i. 50.—A stout erect much-branched shrub 1–5 ft. high, glabrous except the inflorescence and sometimes a tuft of silky hairs in the axils of the leaves; bark dark reddish-brown. Leaves close-set, opposite, shortly petioled, ⅓–¾ in. long, oblong or oblong-lanceolate or linear-oblong, usually acute at both ends, rigid and coriaceous, often slightly keeled by the prominent midrib, veinless, margins usually slightly thickened; floral similar or rather broader. Flowers in compact many-flowered heads terminating the branches, sessile, white or palerose, polygamo-diœcious. Perianth densely silky-villous, ⅓–½ in. long. Anthers exserted. Style slender; stigma capitate, exserted. Fruit dry.—A. Rich. Fl. Nouv. Zel. 171; A. Cunn. Precur. n. 343; Raoul, Choix, 42; Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 221; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 243. Banksia Gnidia, Forst. Char. Gen. 8, t. 4. Passerina Gnidia, Forst. Prodr. n. 170. Cookia Gnidia, Gmel. Syst. i. 24.
Var. pulchella.—Robust. Leaves larger, ½–1 in. long, elliptic-lanceolate or linear-obovate, acute or obtuse, not keeled, lateral veins often evident. Heads larger with more numerous flowers. Flowers almost as large as those of P. longifolia. Intermediate between P. Gnidia and P. longifolia, and with equal claims to be referred to either species.
