ous, close-set, erect or spreading, ¼–⅓ in. long or more, linear-obovate or linear-oblong, obtuse, narrowed into a short broad petiole or sessile, coriaceous, glabrous and usually glutinous above, fulvous or white and strongly costate beneath; margins recurved. Heads very numerous, in terminal rounded corymbs, shortly pedicelled, turbinate, ⅕–¼ in. long; involucral bracts in several series; the outer shorter, ovate-oblong, obtuse or subacute, tomentose or glabrate, often reddish towards the tips; inner linear-oblong, with short white obtuse radiating tips. Scales among the florets numerous. Florets 8–15. Pappus-hairs thickened at the tips.—Handb. N.Z. Fl. 145; Kirk, Students' Fl. 315. Ozothamnus Vauvilliersii, Homb. et Jacq. Bot. Voy. Astrol. et Zel. 38, t. 5; Hook. f. Fl. Antarct. i. 29. Olearia xanthophylla, Col. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xx. (1888) 193.
Var. rubra.—Involucral bracts red, glabrous.—C. rubra, Buch. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xix. (1887) 216; Kirk, Students' Fl. 315.
Var. albida. Kirk, l.c.—Branchlets and leaves beneath clothed with whitish tomentum. Leaves linear-spathulate, strongly costate beneath.
North and South Islands, Stewart Island, Auckland Islands: Not uncommon from the East Cape and Taupo southwards. Sea-level to 4500 ft. December–January.
A very variable plant. I am unable to maintain Buchanan's C. rubra as a species.
4. C. amœna, Cheesem. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxix. (1897) 391.—A small round-topped densely branched shrub 1–2 ft. high; branches stout, furrowed, the younger ones clothed with greyishwhite tomentum. Leaves close-set, spreading or suberect, ¼–⅔ in. long, narrow linear-obovate or linear-spathulate, obtuse, narrowed into a short petiole, coriaceous, glabrous above, clothed with dense white tomentum beneath; margins recurved. Heads numerous, in rounded terminal corymbs, narrow turbinate, shortly pedicelled, ⅕–¼ in. long; involucral bracts in several series; the outer shorter, ovate-oblong, obtuse, tomentose; the inner linear-oblong, with short white radiating tips. Florets few, 4–6; scales of the receptacle usually absent or rarely 1 or 2 present. Achene silky, with a thickened areole at the base. Pappus-hairs thickened at the tips.—Kirk, Students' Fl. 315.
North Island: Cliffs near the North Cape, T.F.C. December–January.
A pretty little plant, with much of the aspect of C. Vauvilliersii var. albida, but easily distinguished by the smaller size, narrower heads, fewer florets, and almost total absence of the receptacular scales.
5. C. fulvida, Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Fl. 145.—A slender erect much-branched shrub 2–6 ft. high; branches glutinous, clothed with fulvous tomentum. Leaves close-set, spreading or suberect, ⅙–⅓ in.
