florets very numerous, with a few hermaphrodite ones in the centre. Achene puberulous or glabrous. Pappus-hairs copious, very fine, connate at the base.—Benth. Fl. Austral. iii. 655; Kirk, Students' Fl. 299.
Var. Mackayi, T. Kirk, l.c.—Much branched, densely tufted, forming close matted patches. Leaves imbricated on the short branches, heads smaller, sessile or on short scapes. Involucral bracts not so numerous, acute.—Raoulia Mackayi, Buch. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xiv. (1882) 354, t. 34, f. 2.
South Island: Not uncommon in mountain districts from Nelson to Foveaux Strait. 1500–5500 ft. December–February. Also in Australia.
A variable plant. The most developed form is almost simple, with long radical leaves and long and slender scapes; but it passes by almost imperceptible gradations into the extreme state of var. Mackayi, which forms broad much-branched patches, with short imbricated leaves and sessile heads.
6. G. paludosum, Petrie in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxii. (1890) 441.—Very slender, solitary or tufted, 1–2 in. high. Leaves all radical, petiolate, ⅓–1½ in. long, narrow linear-spathulate; blade half the length or nearly so, acute or subacute, rather membranous, glabrous or slightly silky above, beneath clothed with white appressed tomentum; midrib prominent; margins flat or slightly recurved. Scapes few, hardly exceeding the leaves in the flowering stage, but elongating in fruit, very slender, almost capillary, cottony; bracts few, small, linear. Head solitary, terminal, 15 in. diam.; involucral bracts few, scarious, pale and glistening, darker at the tips, inner linear, glabrous. Female florets very numerous. Achene linear-oblong, papillose. Pappus-hairs very delicate, connate at the base.—Kirk, Students' Fl. 299. G. minutulum, Col. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxii. (1890) 472.
North Island: Base of Tongariro, Hill! Rangipo Plains and Ruahine Mountains, Petrie! South Island: Not uncommon in mountain districts, usually in peaty swamps, from Nelson to Otago. 1000–4000 ft. December–January.
Closely allied to G. Traversii, but easily separated by the smaller size and more slender habit, thinner leaves glabrous on the upper surface, smaller heads, and fewer involucral bracts with dark tips. The type specimens of Mr. Colenso's G. minutulum are identical with Mr. Petrie's plant.
7. G. nitidulum, Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Fl. 154.—"A small densely tufted species, covered with appressed silky shining yellowish tomentum. Leaves closely imbricated at their bases, above spreading, flat, ⅓ in. long, linear, obtuse; lower ⅓ membranous, glabrous, upper ⅔ densely silky. Heads terminal, solitary, large, ½ in. broad, on very short slender peduncles; involucral scales in 2 series, erect, linear, hyaline, shining, with pale erect tips; florets not seen."—Kirk, Students' Fl. 299.
South Island: "Nelson Mountains, Sinclair; Clarence and Wairau Valleys, alt. 3500 ft., Travers."
