29. O. Forsteri, Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Fl. 127.—A much-branched shrub or small tree 8–20 ft. high; branchlets grooved and angular, tomentose. Leaves alternate, 1½–3 in. long, oblong or ovate-oblong or broadly ovate, obtuse, shortly petiolate, coriaceous, glabrous above, clothed with thin closely appressed vphite tomentum beneath; veins finely reticulate; margins usually strongly undulate. Corymbs branched, peduncles usually shorter than the leaves. Heads sessile and fascicled on the branches of the corymb, small, narrow, 16–15 in. long. Involucre cylindric; scales few, imbricate, glabrous or nearly so; outer small, broadly ovate; inner much longer, linear-oblong, obtuse. Florets always solitary, tubular, hermaphrodite. Pappus-hairs numerous, in one series. Achenes rather broad, pubescent.—Kirk, Forest Fl. t. 137. O. uniflora. Col. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxii. (1888) 469. Eurybia Forsteri, Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 119. Shawia paniculata, Forst. Char. Gen. 95, t. 48; A. Rich. Fl. Nouv. Zel. 243; A. Cunn. Precur. n. 434; Raoul, Choix, 18, t. 13; Kirk, Students' Fl. 217.
Var. elliptlca, Kirk, l.c.—Leaves narrower, linear-oblong or elliptic-oblong.
North and South Islands: From the East Cape southwards to Oamaru and Greymouth; often local, usually near the coast. Sea-level to 1500 ft. Akiraho. April–May.
The heads never contain more than one floret, which is invariably tubular and hermaphrodite. On account of the constancy of this character Mr. Kirk has proposed to revive Forster's genus Shawia, but, I think, quite unnecessarily. In O. avicenniæfolia the florets are sometimes reduced to 2, and occasionally there is no ray-floret, thus absolutely bridging over the gap between O. Forsteri and the remaining Oleariæ.
30. O. fragrantissima, Petrie in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxiii. (1891) 398.—An erect much-branched shrub 6–15 ft. high or more; bark dark red-brown or almost black; branches rigid, flexuous or zigzag, finely grooved. Leaves distant, alternate, ¾–l½ in. long, elliptic-lanceolate to elliptic-oblong or -ovate, acute, narrowed intoa rather slender petiole, membranous, glabrous above, clothed with rather lax silky tomentum beneath; margins flat, quite entire. Inflorescence of alternate sessile glomerules ½–¾ in. diam., each containing 8–12 nearly sessile heads 15 in. long, each head with a woolly bract at its base. Involucral bracts in 2 or 3 series, oblong, obtuse, densely woolly. Florets 4–8, yellowish; ray-florets 2–5, short and broad. Achenes grooved, silky.—Kirk, Students' Fl. 274.
South Island: Canterbury—Lake Forsyth, Kirk! Otago—Otago Heads, Buchanan! Petrie! near Dunedin, Catlin's River, Petrie! November–December.
A very distinct species, remarkable for the heads being congested intoglobose fascicles or glomerules. The flowers are deliciously fragrant, smelling like ripe peaches.
