South Island: Nelson—Hanmer Plains, Kirk! Canterbury—Krull, Haast. Otago—Mount Earnslaw and the Humboldt Mountains, Cockayne! 1500–3500 ft. December–February.
A very imperfectly understood species, of which much more complete specimens are required before its exact position can be determined.
27. E. glabellum, Forst. Prodr. n. 160.—Stems 6–14 in. high, usually numerous from a hard and woody base, decumbent below, strict and erect above, terete or obscurely tetragonous, often red or purple, glabrous with the exception of 2 or 4 pubescent lines decurrent from the petioles, simple or branched below, remotely or densely leafy. Leaves opposite or the upper alternate, ⅓–¾ in. long, ovate or ovate-oblong to narrow-oblong, obtuse, shortly petioled or almost sessile, perfectly glabrous, usually red or purple, often shining, from almost membranous to coriaceous, remotely sinuate-denticulate. Flowers in the upper axils, few or many, erect, white or pink, 15–14 in. diam. Calyx-lobes ovate-lanceolate, acute, glabrous, shorter than the petals. Stigma rounded-clavate. Capsules 1–2 in. long, slender, erect, glabrous; peduncles short, seldom much exceeding the leaves. Seeds papillose.—Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 59; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 79; Haussk. Monog. Epilob. 304; Kirk, Students' Fl. 174. E. erubescens, Haussk. l.c. 306, t. 23. f. 98; Kirk, l.c. 175.
North Island: Rare and local north of the East Cape, common in mountain districts from thence southwards. South Island: Abundant throughout. Sea-level to over 5000 ft. December–February.
One of the most variable and puzzling plants in New Zealand; excessively plentiful in hilly and mountainous districts in the South Island. I have re-united Professor Haussknecht's E. erubescens with it, finding it quite impossible to lay down a strict line of demarcation between the two plants. The true E. glabellum is less rigid, with more membranous distantly placed leaves, and the capsules are longer and shortly stalked. E. erubescens has numerous rigid simple stems, the leaves are crowded and erect, the flowers more numerous, and the capsules shorter and almost sessile. But intermediate states are plentiful, and many of them might with equal propriety be placed under either head.
28. E. novæ-zealandiæ, Haussk. Monog. Epilob. 305, t. 20, f. 86.—Stems 3–9 in. high, decumbent or prostrate at the base, erect or ascending above, branched, usually pale-green, bifariously pubescent. Leaves opposite or the uppermost alternate, ½–1 in. long, lanceolate or linear-oblong to oblong, obtuse or subacute, sessile or very shortly petiolate, rather thin, light-green, glabrous, obscurely and remotely denticulate. Flowers in the axils of the upper leaves, small, white, 16–14 in. diam. Calyx-lobes ovate-lanceolate, glabrous, shorter than the petals. Stigma shortly clavate. Capsules ¾–1½ in. long, slender, glabrous; peduncles usually longer than the leaves when the fruit is mature. Seeds papillose.—Kirk, Students' Fl. 175. E. elegans, Petrie in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxix. (1897) 425.
