Manual of the New Zealand Flora.

11. Helichrysum, Vaiil

11. Helichrysum, Vaiil.

Herbs or small shrubs, very variable in habit, often woolly or tomentose. Leaves alternate or the lower rarely opposite, quite entire. Heads solitary or corymbose, heterogamous and discoid or homogamous through the suppression of the female florets. Involucre from cylindrical to broadly hemispherical; bracts in several series, with or without white or coloured spreading petal-like scarious tips. Receptacle flat or convex, naked or pitted. Female florets exterior, few, sometimes altogether wanting, filiform, minutely 2–3-toothed. Disc-florets hermaphrodite, numerous, tubular with a funnel-shaped 5-toothed mouth. Anthers sagittate at the base, produced into fine tails. Style-branches of the disc-florets almost terete, truncate or subcapitate. Achenes small, terete, 5-angled or compressed. Pappus-hairs in one series (rarely in several series), free or connate below, simple or barbellate or plumose above.

A very large and heteromorphous genus, found in most parts of the world, and especially plentiful in South Africa and Australia. It has been united with Gnaphalium by many authors, but can usually be distinguished by the hermaphrodite florets being always much more numerous than the female ones. All the New Zealand species are endemic.

A. Xerochlssna. Herbs. Involucre broad, hemispherical, the outer bracts broad, sessile, passing gradually into the inner ones, which have linear claws and white (or coloured) radiating tips. (The white tips are wanting in H. filicaule and H. Loganii. )

Stems 6–18 in., slender, prostrate. Leaves glabrous above. Heads solitary, large, ½–¾ in. diam. 1. H. bellidioides.
Steins 12–24 in., slender, prostrate. Leaves glabrous above. Heads corymbose, ¼ in. diam. 2. H. Purdiei.
Stems 3–10 in., filiform, erect. Leaves glabrous above. Heads solitary, ¼–⅓ in.; involuoral bracts without white radiating tips 3. H. filicaule.
Stems 2–4 in., tufted, ascending. Leaves woolly on both surfaces. Heads corymbose, ¼ in. diam. 4. H. Sinclairii.
Small, densely matted, ½–2½ in. high. Leaves closely imbricate, woolly on both surfaces. Heads solitary, large, ⅓–½ in. diam. 5. H. Young ii.
Small, densely tufted, 1–2 in. Leaves closely imbricate, white and silvery on both surfaces. Heads fascicled, ¼–⅓ in. diam. 6. H. fasciculatum.
Small, forming compact patches. Leaves densely imbricate, tips clothed with long straight hairs. Heads sunk among the terminal leaves; involucral bracts not white and radiating 7. H. Loganii.

B. Leontopodioides. Herbs. Heads small, in dense terminal cymes subtended by broad spreading floral leaves.

Leaves ⅓–¾ in., linear-oblong, tips erect 8. H. Leontopodium
Leaves ¼–⅓ in., oblong-spathulate, tips recurved 9. H. grandiceps.

C. Ozotharnnus. Shrubs, often of small size. Heads small, cymose or solitary. Involucral bracts not white or radiating, or very obscurely so.

* Heads in corymbose cymes.

Leaves ovate or orbicular, petiolate 10. H. glomeraium.
Leaves lanceolate, petiolate 11. -0". lanceolatum.

** Heads solitary. Leaves densely imbricate, closely appressed to the branch.

Branchlets slender. Leaves in about 6 series, 1/12–1/10 in, linear, silky or hoary 12. H. depressum.
Branchlets 1/12–⅛ in. Leaves in about 4 series, 1/16–1/12 in. polished and keeled on the back 13. H. microphyllum
Branchlets ⅛–⅙ in. Leaves in about 6 series, 1/10–⅙ in., polished and keeled on the back 14. H. Selago.
Branchlets stout, ⅓ in. Leaves in many series, ⅕–¼ in., polished and convex on the back 15. H. coralloides.

*** Heads solitary. Leaves closely imbricate, tips spreading and recurved.

Leaves in several series, ⅙ in., oblong, silvery on both surfaces 16. H. pauciflorum.
1. H. bellidioides, Willd. Sp. Plant, iii. 1911.—Stems slender, prostrate, much branched, almost woody at the base, 6–18 in. long; branches numerous, erect or ascending, leafy. Leaves loosely imbricate or almost distant, spreading or recurved, ¼–½ in. long, obovate-spathulate or obovate-oblong, obtuse or apiculate, flat, 1-nerved, upper surface slightly cottony or glabrous, beneath clothed with cottony appressed tomentum. Heads solitary, ½ in. diam. or more, on bracteate cottony peduncles 1–5 in. long terminating the branches; involucral bracts in many series, linear-ligulate, ¼–⅓ in, long, with scarious tomentose claws and long white radiating tips. Receptacle convex or almost conical. Florets very numerous; females few, in 1 or 2 series. Achene glabrous, with a thickened areole at the base. Pappus-hairs few, slender.— A. Cunn. Precur. n. 449; Raoul, Choix, 45; Kirk, Students' Fl. 308. Gnaphalium bellidioides, Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 137; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 152. Xeranthemum bellidioides, Forst. Prodr. n. 293; A. Rich,. Fl. Nouv. Zel. 242. Var. prostratum, Kirk, Students' Fl. 309.—Similar to the type, but heads sessile at the tips of the branches.—H. prostratum, Hook. f. Fl. Antarct. i. 30, t. 21. Gnaphalium prostratum, Hook f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 137; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 152. North and South Islands, Chatham Islands, Stewart Island, Auckland and Campbell Islands, Antipodes Island: Abundant in mountain districts from the East Cape and Taupo southwards. Sea-level to 5000 ft. November–February. Var: prostratum: Sparingly found in both North and South Islands, more abundant in the Auckland and Campbell Islands. A common plant. I quite agree with Mr. Kirk in considering H. prostratum to be a variety only, and there is no difficulty in collecting passage-forms from no peduncles to very long bracteate ones. But I do not find the conical receptacle to be peculiar to var. prostratum.
2. H. Purdiei, Petrie in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxii. (1890) 440. —Stems slender, wiry, prostrate, spreading, much branched, woody at the base, 1–2 ft. long; branches white and tomentose at the tips. Leaves distant, spreading, ¼–½ in. long, obovate-spathulate, rounded at the tip and minutely apiculate, flat, rather membranous, pubescent or almost glabrous above, beneath clothed with laxly appressed greyish-white tomentum. Heads ¼ in. diam., in corymbs of 3 to 6 terminating the branchlets; peduncles and pedicels short, slender, tomentose. Involucral bracts in several series; the outer very short, obtuse, brown and scarious; the inner linear-oblong with short white radiating tips. Florets very numerous; females few, in 1–2 series Achene glabrous, with a thickened areole at the base. Pappus-hairs few, slender, barbellate above.— Kirk, Students' Fl. 309. South Island: Otago—Dunedin Harbour, rare, A. C. Purdie! Petrie! Aston! November–December.
3. H. fllicaule, Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 140, t. 36 B.—Rhizome long, wiry, creeping, putting up numerous very slender simple or rarely branched erect cottony stems 3–10 in. high. Leaves distant, ¼–⅓ in. long, obovate-oblong or narrow-oblong, obtuse or apiculate, glabrous or slightly cottony above, beneath clothed with white cottony tomentum. Heads solitary, terminal on long filiform peduncles, ⅓ in. diam.; involucral bracts in about 4 series; the outer shorter, oblong, obtuse, cottony at the base; inner longer, linear-oblong or linear, acute, scarious. Receptacle small., convex. Florets numerous; females few, in 1 series. Achene obscurely papillose or puberulous. Pappus-hairs very slender. — Kirk, Students' Flora, 309. Gnaphalium filicaule, Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Fl. 153. North and South Islands, Chatham Islands, Stewart Island: Not uncommon in dry grassy places from Rotorua southwards. Sea-level to 4000 ft. December–February.
4. H. Sinclairii, Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Fl. 153.—"A small subalpine species; stems and branches ascending, leafy, 2–4 in. high. Leaves close-set, spreading, ¼–⅓ in. long, ⅙ in. broad, linear- oblong or obovate-spathulate, obtuse, densely covered with pale cottony tomentum on both surfaces. Heads ¼ in. diam., in numerous rounded terminal dense corymbs ½–1 in. across; peduncles and pedicels short, densely cottony; outer scales of involucre cottony, inner shortly radiating; female florets in 1 series; pappus of few stout hairs, thickened towards the tip. Achene glabrous."— Kirk, Students' Fl. 309. South Island: Marlborough — Upper Awatere Valley, Sinclair (Handbook). This has not been observed since its first discovery, nearly fifty years ago. Not having seen specimens, I have reproduced Hooker's description. He compares it with the Tasmanian Raoulia catipes (Hook. f. Fl. Tasm. i. 206, t. 58), but states that the leaves are smaller, the heads not half the size, and much more numerous.
5. H. Youngii, Handb. N.Z. Fl 152.—Densely tufted, forming broad soft patches ¾–1½ in. high; branches stout, erect, with the leaves ⅓ in. diam. Leaves densely imbricate, erecto-patent or spreading, ⅙–¼ in. long, obovate-oblong, obtuse, sessile by a broad base, densely clothed on both surfaces with soft white or buff cottony tomentum. Heads ⅓–½ in. diam., sessile amongst the terminal leaves; involucral bracts in about 3 series; the outer shorter, woolly and tomentose at the base; the inner longer, linear-oblong, acute, with white radiating tips almost equalling the scarious claw, and much exceeding the florets. Florets numerous, 50–70; about 20–30 females, in 2 series. Achene pubescent. Pappus-hairs few, rigid, brittle, slightly thickened above.— Kirk, Students' Fl. 310. South Island: Canterbury—Mount Torlesse and Mount Cook, Haast! T. F. C. Otago—Lake Hawea, Haast; Lake Wanaka, Buchanan! Mount Pisa, Mount Cardrona, Hector Mountains, Petrie! 4500–6500 ft. January. This differs from Helichrysum in habit and in the numerous female florets, and would perhaps be more appropriately placed in Raoulia, of which it has the pappus-hairs of the section Imbricaria. In Mr. Kirk's herbarium it is mixed with Raoulia Parkii, the distinguishing characters of which have already been pointed out under the genus Raoulia.
6. H. fasciculatum, Buch. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. ix. (1877) 529, t. 19. —Densely tufted, much branched below, forming small patches 1–2 in. high; branches with the leaves ½ in. diam. or more. Leaves closely imbricated, erect or spreading at the tips, ¼–1/12 in. long, oblong-lanceolate or narrow obovate-lanceoiate, acute, narrowed towards the base, clothed on both surfaces with white silvery tomentum, which becomes loose and cottony towards the base, grooved beneath. Heads in fascicles of 2–4 at the tips of the branches, sessile, ⅓–½ in. diam.; involucral bracts in 3 series, scarious, linear-oblong, obtuse, tomentose on the back, the inner with white radiating tips. Receptacle narrow, hispid. Florets 12–20; female few, in 1 series. Achene silky, with a thickened areole at the base. Pappus-hairs few, slightly thickened above.— Kirk, Students' Fl. 310. North Island: Tararua Mountains, H. R. Travers! South Island: Nelson—Mount Starveall, Bryant ("Students' Flora"). 4000–5000 ft. December–January. I have seen very imperfect specimens of this, which is evidently a very distinct species. The silvery foliage is much like that of Raoulia grandiflora.
7. H. Loganii, T. Kirk, Students' Fl. 310.—"Forming pulvinate masses 6–12 in. diam. Branches slender, woody at the base, with the leaves ⅓–⅜ in. diam., the whole plant clothed with soft white or greenish-white wool. Leaves densely imbricating, ¼ in. long, obovate or obovate-oblong, rounded at the tip or subacute, membranous, 3-nerved, tips recurved, clothed with long soft hairs, which are restricted to a dense tuft above projecting beyond the margin. Heads ½–¾ in. diam.; involucral bracts in 3 series, oblong, mostly obtuse, the outer villous, the inner broader, glabrate, scarious, pale, not radiating. Achene compressed, covered with long silky hairs. Pappus-hairs barbellate, irregularly thickened towards the apex."—Haastia Loganii, Buch. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xiv. (1882) 350, t. 30, f. 3. South Island: Mount Holdsworth, Tararua Range, Buchanan! T. P. Arnold! 4000–5000 ft. The above description is Mr. Kirk's. I much regret that I have had no opportunity of examining good specimens, particularly as an old and very imperfect fragment in Mr. Buchanan's herbarium seems to show that the heads are fascicled, and not solitary, as might be supposed from the original description and plate.
8. H. Leontopodium, Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 141, t. 37 B.— Stems much branched, decumbent and woody at the base, erect or ascending at the tips, 2–8 in. high. Leaves densely imbricate, erect or rarely patent, ⅓–¾ in. long, linear-oblong or oblong-lanceolate, acute, clothed on both surfaces with appressed shining silvery tomentum, striate when dry. Peduncles stout, terminating the branches, more or less densely clothed with imbricating bracts. Heads 8–15 together, congested into a dense bracteate glomerule ½–1 in. diam.; each head about ⅙ in. across; bracts 10–20, spreading, ¼–¾ in. long, oblong or ovate-oblong, obtuse or subacute, most densely woolly. Involucral bracts in 2 series, linear-lanceolate, woolly on the back, erect, scarious, shining. Florets numerous; females few, in 1 series. Achene silky. Pappus-hairs few, stout, scabrid, slightly thickened above.— Kirk, Students' Fl. 313. Gna-phalium Colensoi, Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Fl. 154. North Island: Mount Hikurangi (East Cape), C olenso! Adams and Petrie! Ruahine Mountains, Colenso! Petrie! Hill! Tongariro, Hill! Tararua Range, H. H. Travers! Budden. South Island: Nelson—Raglan Range and mountains above the Wairau Gorge, T. F. C.; Tarndale, Sinclair; mountains above the Rainbow River, Bryant. 4000–6000 ft. January–February. A beautiful little plant, with precisely the aspect of the edelweiss of the European Alps (Leontopodium alpinum), but with flower-heads of different structure.
9. H. grandiceps, Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Fl. 154.—Densely tufted. Stems much branched, decumbent and woody at the base, 2–8 in. high; branches ascending or erect. Leaves densely imbricate, spreading or recurved, ¼–⅓ in. long, oblong- or obovate- spathulate, obtuse, flat or concave, clothed on both surfaces with appressed silvery tomentum. Peduncles composed of the elongated tips of the branches, leafy throughout, but the leaves usually not so closely imbricate. Heads congested into a terminal bracteate glomerule surrounded by leafy bracts, as in H. Leontopodium, but bracts rather shorter and broader. Involucral bracts in 2 series, linear, tomentose on the back, with brown scarious tips. Florets numerous; females few, in 1 series. Achene silky. Pappus-hairs few, rather stout, thickened above.— Kirk, Students' Fl. 313. South Island: Not uncommon in mountain districts from Nelson to Otago. 2500–5000 ft. December–January. Allied to H. Leontopodium, but amply distinct in the shorter and broader usually recurved leaves, more densely leafy peduncles, shorter and broader bracts, and smaller glomerules.
10. H. glomeratum, Benth. and Hook. f. Gen. Plant, ii. 311.— A much-branched shrub 3–8 ft. high; branches spreading, slender, flexuous, grooved, tomentose above. Leaves alternate, very variable in size, ¼–1½ in. long, orbicular or broadly ovate or ovate- spathulate, obtuse or minutely apiculate, suddenly narrowed into a short slender petiole, quite entire, flat; upper surface glabrous, minutely reticulate; beneath clothed with white cottony tomentum. Heads in terminal or lateral sessile or stalked subglobose corymbs, small, 1/10 in. diam. Involucral bracts few, in about 3 series, oblong, obtuse, scarious, woolly at the base. Florets 8–12, 2 or 3 of them female. Achene puberulous, with a thickened areole at the base. Pappus-hairs thickened at the tips.— Kirk Students' Fl. 311. Ozothamnus glomeratus, Hook. f. Fl. Nov Zel. i. 133; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 146, Swammerdammia glomerata Raoul, Choix, 20, t. 16. North and South Islands: Not uncommon from the North Cape south wards. Sea-level to 2500 ft. November–January.
11. H. lanceolatum, T. Kirk, Students' Fl. 311.— Altogether. similar to H. glomeratum, but leaves 1–1½ in. long, lanceolate or elliptic-lanceolate, acute or subacute, narrowed into a short winged petiole, glabrous above, beneath clothed with white appressed tomentum; margins flat or slightly undulate. Heads, florets, and achenes precisely as in H. glomeratum.—Ozothamnus lanceolatus Buch, in Trans. N.Z. Inst. ii. (1870) 88. North Island: Mountains near Hokianga, Buchanan! alt. 2000 ft. Probably only a narrow-leaved variety of the preceding. I have seen no specimens except Mr. Buchanan's.
12. H. depressum, Benth. and Hook. f. Gen. Plant, ii. 311.— A suberect or rarely prostrate much-branched bush 1–5 ft. high hoary in all its parts with appressed greyish-white tomentum branches spreading, rigid and wiry, often tortuous. Leaves minute, closely appressed to the branch, laxly imbricating, 1/12–1/10 in. long, linear, obtuse, concave and loosely woolly on the inner face, silk) or woolly on the back. Heads small, ⅙ in. diam. solitary, sessile at the tips of the branchlets; involucral bracts few, linear, scarious. acute or acuminate, rarely obtuse, glabrate or cottony at the base. Florets 8–12; females few, 2–3. Achene glabrous or puberulous. Pappus-hairs in several series, copious, slender.— Kirk, Students' Fl. 311. Ozothamnus depressus, Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 134. t. 35 B; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 146. North Island: Hawke's Bay—Tukituki River, Petrie! South Island: Not uncommon throughout, usually on shingly river-beds. 1000–4000 ft. December–February.
13. H. microphyllum, Benth. and Hook. f. Gen. Plant, ii. 311.— A small depressed much-branched shrub 6–15 in. high; branchlets slender, crowded, tomentose, with the leaves 1/12–⅓ in. diam. Leaves minute, closely appressed to the branch, densely and almost quadri- fariously imbricating, 1/16–1/12 in. long, ovate or triangular, obtuse, thick and coriaceous, concave and densely woolly on the inner face, green and polished and obscurely keeled on the back. Heads terminal, solitary, sessile, turbinate, ⅕–¼ in. diam.; involucral bracts in about 3 series, linear-oblong, obtuse, scarious. Florets 20–25; female few, in 1 series. Achene pubescent. Pappus-hairs few, not thickened at the tip.— Kirk, Students' Fl. 312. Ozothamnus microphyllus, Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 134, t. 35 A; Handb. N.Z. Fl 146. South Island: Not uncommon in mountain districts throughout. 1500–4000 ft. January–March. The usual state of this can be recognised by the slender branches and minute almost quadrifariously arranged leaves, but stouter specimens are difficult to separate from the next species.
14. H. Selago, Benth. and Hook. f. Gen. Plant, ii. 311.—A small much-branched shrub 6–15 in. high; branchlets stout, crowded, with the leaves ⅛–⅙ in. diam. Leaves minute, closely appressed to the branch, densely imbricating in about 5 or 6 series, 1/10–⅛ in. long, ovate-triangular, obtuse or subacute, thick and coriaceous in the upper part, membranous below, concave and woolly on the inner face, polished and obtusely keeled on the back. Heads terminal, solitary, sessile, ¼ in. diam.; involucral bracts in 3 series, linear-oblong; the outer obtuse, tomentose at the base; the inner subacute, coriaceous below, with short scarious spreading tips. Florets 35–45; females few, in 1 series. Achene puberulous. Pappus-hairs few, not thickened at the tips.— Kirk, Students' Fl. 312. Ozothamnus Selago, Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. ii. 332; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 147. Var. tomentosum.—Leaves oblong, subacute, almost concealed by fulvous woolly tomentum. Heads not seen. Perhaps a distinct species. South Island: Nelson—Wairau Gorge, T. F. C.; Clarence Valley, Kirk! T. F. C. Marlborough—Kaikoura Mountains, Monro, Buchanan t Awatere Valley, Kirk. Canterbury—Mount Torlesse, Carrington; Rangitata, Armstrong. Var. tomentosum: Mount Dobson, T. F. C. 2000–4500 ft. December–January. Very closely allied to H. microphyllum, and only to be distinguished by the stouter branches, 6-ranked leaves, larger heads, and more numerous florets. Intermediates which might almost be referred to either species are not infrequently seen.
15. H. coralloides, Benth. and Hook. f. Gen. Plant, ii. 311.— A short stout much-branched shrub 4–12 in. high, hard and woody below; branches spreading, cylindrical, ⅓ in. diam., densely tomentose between the leaves, which resemble tubercles on their surface. Leaves closely appressed to the branch, imbricated in many series, ⅕–¼ in. long, oblong; obtuse, very thick and coriaceous towards the tip, membranous below, inner face concave and densely clothed with long woolly tomentum, back convex or obscurely keeled, glabrous and polished. Heads ¼–⅓ in. diam., terminal, solitary, sunk amongst the uppermost leaves; involucral bracts in about 3 series, linear-oblong, rigid and cartilaginous at the base; tips thinner, scarious, often recurved. Florets numerous; female few, in one series. Achene pubescent. Pappus-hairs few, stout, slightly thickened above.— Kirk, Students Fl. 312. Ozothamnus coralloides, Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. ii. 332; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 147. South Island: Marlborough—Kaikoura Mountains, Monro, Buchanan! Upper Awatere, Sinclair! Medway Creek, Kirk! Palmer River, Cockayne! Nelson—Western slopes of Mount Percival, T. F. C. 3000–5000 ft. A most remarkable plant.
16. H. pauciflorum, Kirk in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxvii. (1895) 351.—A small much-branched greyish-white plant, with a- hard and woody base. Stems 3–8 in. high, decumbent below, erect or ascending at the tips; branches stout, with the leaves ¼–⅓ in. diam. Leaves densely imbricate in several series, ⅙ in. long, oblong or oblong-spathulate, obtuse or subacute, erect or spreading at the tips, sessile by a broad base, both surfaces densely clothed with greyish-white tomentum. Heads ⅙ in. diam., solitary, sessile at the tips of the branches and almost hidden by the leaves; involucral bracts in 2 series, lanceolate, acute, scarious, silky at the base on the outside. Florets few, 10–16, of which 3–6 are females. Achene clothed with long silky hairs, and with a thickened areole at the base. Pappus-hairs few, thickened upwards.— Students' Fl. 313. South Island: Canterbury—Craigieburn Mountains, Cockayne! Petrie! Candlestick Mountains, Cockayne! 3000–5000 ft. A curious species, with a close superficial resemblance in habit and foliage to fl. grandiceps, but with an altogether different inflorescence.