green, laxly imbricated or somewhat remote, spreading or erecto-patent, 18–15 in. long, linear-ligulateor linear-oblong, acute or obtuse, flat or nearly so, 1-nerved, glabrous or slightly silky, sometimes with a minute pencil of hairs at the tip. Heads rather large, ¼–⅓ in. diam.; involucral bracts in 3–4 series; outer green, ovate-oblong, acuminate; inner longer, linear-oblong, with white radiating tips. Florets numerous, 30–50; female in 2 series, rather less in number than the hermaphrodite ones. Achene puberulous. Pappus-hairs copious, soft, not thickened at the tips.—Handb. N.Z. Fl. 149; Kirk, Students' Fl. 303.
North Island: Tararua and Rimutaka Mountains, descending almost to sea-level to the north of Cape Palliser. South Island: Abundant throughout in mountain districts. Ascends to 4000 ft. December–January.
6. R. subsericea, Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 136.—Stouter than R. glabra, and more closely branched, forming smaller and more compact patches with shorter erect branches. Leaves rather longer and broader than in R. glabra, closely imbricated, 16–14 in. long, linear-oblong, obtuse or subacute, flat or nearly so, usually sparingly clothe(i with thin silvery tomentum or rarely almost glabrous. Heads rather larger, ⅓ in. diam.; involucral bracts broader, the innermost with larger and more conspicuous white radiating tips. Florets similar to those of R. glabra, but fewer in number. Achene glabrous. Pappus-hairs copious, soft, slightly thickened at the tips.—Handb. N.Z. Fl. 150; Kirk, Students' Fl. 303.
South Island: Abundant in mountain districts throughout. 1000–4500 ft. December–January.
Very closely allied to R. glabra, but generally recognised without difificulty by the more compact habit, silky leaves, rather larger heads with more conspicuous white tips to the inner involucral bracts, and by the pappus-hairs being slightly thickened above.
7. R. Parkii, Buch. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xiv. (1882) 355, t. 34, f. 3.—Stems 1–6 in. long, prostrate, creeping and rooting, often densely matted and forming large patches; branches short, erect or ascendmg, ½–1 in. long. Leaves closely imbricated, spreading and recurved, 110–16 in. long, obovate-spathulate, obtuse, clothed with white or buff woolly appressed tomentum except towards the base, which is usually glabrous. Heads 16–14 in. diam., sessile among the terminal leaves; involucral bracts in 2–3 series; the outer short, tomentose on the outside; the inner longer, linearoblong, obtuse, with white radiating tips. Florets 15–25, the females about equal to the hermaphrodite ones in number. Achene puberulous. Pappus-hairs slightly thickened at the tips.
South Island: Canterbury—Mount Dobson, Lake Tekapo, Mount Ollivier, T. F. C. Otago—Mount Alta, Buchanan! Lake Wanaka, Hector Mountains, Old Man Range, Ida Valley, and elsewhere in Central Otago, Petrie! 2500–5500 ft. December–January.
