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Manual of the New Zealand Flora.
2. Azorella, Lam
2. Azorella, Lam.
Perennial herbs, densely tufted or slender and creeping. Leaves simple or 3–5-foliolate, all radical, or fascicled at the nodes of creeping stolons, or cauline and densely imbricated. Umbels few-or many-flowered, simple or irregularly compound; involucral bracts free or connate. Calyx-teeth prominent, usually small, acute. Petals obtuse or acute, imbricate. Disc thick, flat, often, confluent with the styles. Fruit but slightly laterally compressed, almost tetragonous, the sides furrowed at the commissure when mature. Carpels subterete or dorsally compressed, with 5 more or less prominent and almost equidistant ribs, the lateral ones not close to the commissure.
A genus comprising about 40 species, found in Andine and extra-tropical South America, Australia and Tasmania, the Antarctic islands, and New Zealand. With the exception of A. Selago, all the New Zealand species are endemic.
| Leaves all cauline, imbricate; blade 3–5-partite | 1. A. Selago. |
Section II. (Schizeleima). Stems tufted, often emitting creeping; stolons or leafy flowering branches.
| Minute, forming tufts ½–2 in. diam. Leaves ⅙–¼ in. diam., entire or crenate | 2. A. exigua. |
| Leaves reniform, ⅓–¾ in. diam. Stipules entire. Umbels 3–8-flowered. Pedicels shorter than the fruits | 3. A. reniformis. |
| Leaves reniform, ⅓–2 in. diam. Stipules ciliate. Umbels many-flowered. _fedicels longer than the fruits | 4. A. Haastii. |
| Leaves tufted, coriaceous, ½–1½ in. diam; leaflets 3–5, deeply crenate-toothed or lobed | 5. A. Roughii. |
| Leaves crowded at the nodes of creeping stolons, excessively coriaceous, ¼–⅔ in. diam.; leaflets bluntly lobed or crenate | 6. A. hydrocoty-loides. |
| Leaves tufted, pale-green, membranous, ⅓–¾ in. diam.; leaflets 3, toothed at the tips | 7. A. pallida. |
| Small, densely matted. Leaves ⅙–⅓ in. diam.; leaflets 3, entire or obscurely toothed | 8. A. nitens. |
| Creeping. Leaves fascicled at the nodes, membranous, ⅓–¾ in. diam.; leaflets 3, stalked, obscurely toothed | 9. A. trifoliolata |
| 1. | A. Selago, Hook. f. Fl. Antarct. ii. 284, t. 99. — Stems densely tufted, branched, forming large globular masses 1–4 ft. diam. or more, quite glabrous. Leaves alternate, imbricate, ⅕–⅓ in. long; petiole half the length, very broad, membranous, closely sheathing the stem; blade much dilated, broader than long, closely oppressed, concave, coriaceous, 3–5-partite to the middle, upper surface furnished with several long stiff bristles; lobes spreading, oblong, acute or apiculate; margins quite entire, much thickened. Umbels almost concealed amongst the uppermost leaves, shortly pedunculate, 3-flowered. Involucral leaves linear, subacute. Calyx-teeth acute. Fruits ovoid, terminated by the elongated styles; carpels slightly compressed, convex on the back, 5-ribbed, contracted at the commissure.—Phil. Trans. Boy. Soc. clxviii. 20; Kirk, Students' Fl. 191
Macquarie Island: Fraser, Prof. Scott! A. Hamilton! Also in Kerguelen Island, the Orozets, Marion and Heard I-lands, and Fuegia. |
| 2. | A. exigua, Benth. and Hook. f. in Gen. Plant. i. 875. — Small, stemless, forming little tufts ½–2 in. diam. Leaves numerous, crowded at the top of a short and stout rhizome, ¼–¾ in. long; petiole long, stout, sheathing at the base; blade minute, ⅙–¼ in. diam., ovate-orbicular, obscurely 3-lobed or crenate, cordate or rounded at the base, coriaceous, minutely papillose above; margins recurved. Scapes shorter than the leaves, 3–8-flowered; involucral leaves linear, obtuse, rounded at the base. Fruit 1/12 in. long, almost tetragonous; carpels 5-ribbed, rounded at the back. —Kvrk, Students Fl. 191. Pozoa exigua, Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Fl. 87.
South Island: Otago—Black Peak, Hector and Buchanan! Hector Mountains and Mount Cardrona, Petrie! Altitudinai range from 5000 to -6500 ft. A very remarkable little plant, quite unlike any other. |
| 3. | A. reniformis, Benth. and Hook. f. l.c. — Bright-green, rather fleshy, perfectly glabrous. Rhizotne slender, creeping, often emitting short stolons. Leaves tufted, ⅓–¾ in. diam., orbicular or reniform, crenate-lobed, coriaceous or almost membranous; petioles rather stout, 1–2 in. long, sheathing at the base; stipules acute or acuminate, quite entire. Umbels 3–8-flowered, on rather stout peduncles much shorter than the leaves; involucral bracts linear, obtuse, membranous. Fruit in. long, linear-oblong, tetragonous, rather longer than its pedicel; carpels obscurely 5-ribbed.—Kirk, Students' Fl. 191. Pozoa reniformis, Hook. f. Fl. Antarct. i. 15, t. 11; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 88.
Auckland and Campbell Islands: Hooker, Kirk! December–January. page 201 |
| 4. | A. Haastii, Benth. and Hook. f. l.c. —Exceedingly variable in size, 1–10 in. high. Rhizome stout, branched, with tufts of radical leaves at the tips, often with prostrate or ascending leafy and flowering branches. Leaves ⅓–2 in. diarn., reniform or orbicular with usually an open sinus, glabrous or sparingly setose, coriaceous or almost fleshy, bright-green and glossy, crenate-lobed; lobes broad, shallow, rounded; margins thickened, almost cartilaginous; petioles variable in length, ⅓–8 in.; stipules broad, usually more or less ciliate at the tips. Umbels peduncled, many-flowered, often 1–3 secondary ones arising from the base of the primary one and far exceeding it; floral leaves cuneate, 3–4-toothed or -lobed; involucral bracts linear-oblong, obtuse. Pedicels usually much longer than the oblong tetragonous fruit; carpels obscurely 5-ribbed.—Kirk, Students' Fl. 192. Pozoa Haastii, Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Fl. 88. Pozoa elegans, Col. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxiii. (1891) 386.
North Island: Ruahine Mountains, A. Hamilton! South Island: Not uncommon in mountain districts from Nelson to Otago, altitude 2000–5000 ft. December–February. This varies much in most of its characters, and as a species is doubtfully distinct from A. reniformis. Ordinarily, however, it can be separated from that plant by the ciliate stipules, many-flowered umbels, and long fruiting pedicels. But the stipules are sometimes entire, and dwarf specimens frequently have short pedicels. Mr. Colenso's Pozoa elegans (as proved by the type specimens in his herbarium, labelled in his own handwriting) is founded upon the tips of the flowering shoots of A. Haastii. He describes the leaves as "2–3-foliolate," having evidently mistaken the approximate floral leaves for parts of a compound leaf. |
| 5. | A. Roughii, Benth. and Hook. f. l.c. —Perfectly glabrous, smooth and shining. Rhizome stout, branched, terminated by numerous radical leaves, and usually with prostrate or ascending leafy flowering branches. Leaves ½–1½ in. diam., orbicular or reni-form, coriaceous, 3–5-foliolate or -partite; leaflets sessile, broadly obcuneate, deeply crenate-toothed or lobed at the tip; lobes rounded; petioles 1–6 in. long; stipules usually laciniate. Flowering shoots often exceeding the leaves; umbels many-flowered, usually 1–3 secondary ones arising from the base of the primary and overtopping it; involucral bracts linear-oblong, obtuse. Pedicels usually longer than the linear-oblong fruit; carpels rounded at the back, 5-ribbed.—Kirk, Students' Fl. 192. Pozoa Roughii, Hook.f. Handb. N.Z. Fl. 89.
South Island: Mountains of Nelson and Marlborough, from Dun Mountain to the Upper Clarence and Waiau, not uncommon. 2500–5000 ft_ December–February. This has the same habit as A. Haastii, but can always be recognised by the divided leaves. I have seen no specimens from the south of Lake Tennyson and the Upper Waiau. page 202 |
| 6. | A. hydrocotyloides, Benth. and Hook. f. l.c. —Perfectly glabrous, stout, often densely matted. Boot long and woody. Stems creeping and rooting at the nodes and putting up tufts of leaves, the runners sometimes 6 in. long or more. Leaves numerous, crowded, ¼–⅔ in. diam., orbicular or orbicular-reniform, very thick and coriaceous, 3–5-foliolate or -partite; leaflets sessile, sometimes overlapping, broadly obovate-cuneate, bluntly 3–5-lobed or -crenate at the tip; margins thickened; petioles stout, ½–1½ in. long; stipules narrow, entire or ciliate. Peduncles variable in length, solitary from the nodes of the stem or 2–4 at the top of a leaf-bearing scion. Umbels 4–15-flowered; involucral bracts linear, obtuse. Fruit linear-oblong, tetragonous, usually shorter than the pedicel; carpels 5-ribbed.—Kirk, Students' Fl. 192. Pozoa hydrocotyloides, Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Fl. 88.
South Island: Canterbury — Mount Torlesse, Enys! Kirk! T. F. C.; Kowai River, Haast; Broken River, Enys 1 T. F. C.; Rangitata, Sinclair. Otago—Kurow Mountains and Mount St. Bathans, Petrie! 2000–4500 ft. December–February. The creeping stems and excessively coriaceous leaves are the best marks of this curious little plant. |
| 7. | A. pallida, T. Kirk, Students' Fl. 193.—Pale-green, perfectly glabrous, smooth and shining. Rhizome creeping, leafy at the joints, and emitting creeping stolons. Leaves numerous, crowded, in. diam., orbicular or reniforrn, usually flaccid and membranous, rarely subcoriaceous, 3-foliolate or rarely 3-partite; leaflets obcuneate, 3–6-lobed at the tips; petioles slender, 1–3 in. long; stipules laciniate. Peduncles usually shorter than the leaves, either bearing a single terminal umbel with a 3–4-lobed leaf at its base, or with 2–3 long-stalked secondary umbels springing from the base of the primary one; sometimes the secondary umbels develop 1–2 tertiary ones in like manner. Umbels 4–12-flowered; involucral leaves linear, obtuse. Pedicels longer than the linear-oblong obtusely 4-angled fruits; carpels 5-ribbed.—Pozoa pallida, Kirk in Trans. N.Z. Inst. x. (1878) 419.
South Island: Nelson—Mount Arthur Plateau, T.F.C.; Lake Rotoiti and Upper Wairau Valley, Kirk! T. F. C.; Lake Guyon, Kirk! Canterbury— Pukunui Creek, Kirk! Mount Torlesse, Petrie! Broken River, Enys and T.F.C. 1200–4000 ft. December–February. |
| 8. | A. nitens, Petrie in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxv. (1893) 270.— Small, slender, perfectly glabrous, smooth and shining, densely matted. Rhizomes creeping, much branched and interlaced. Leaves few, minute, in. diam., 3-foliolate or 3-partite; leaflets sessile or shortly stalked, oblong-ovate to linear-obovate, obtuse or acute, entire or obscurely 2–3-toothed, rather thin, perfectly glabrous; petioles slender, ½–1½ in. long. Peduncles as long or longer than page 203the leaves, usually bearing a single terminal 2–3-flowered umbel with 1 or 2 3-lobed leaves below it, but often a secondary umbel is developed from the base of the primary one; involucral leaves-linear, acute. Fruits minute, 1/15 in. long, obtusely tetragonous, rather turgid, about equalling the pedicels; capsules obscurely 5-ribbed.—Kirk, Students' Fl. 193.
South Island: Nelson—Lake Guyon, Kirk! Canterbury—Broken River basin, Enys! Kirk! T. F. C. Otago—Lake Te Anau and Clinton Valley, Petrie. 700–3000 ft. December–January. A very distinct little plant, in habit somewhat agreeing with small forms of Hydrocotyle tripartita. |
| 9. | A. trifoliolata, Benth. and Hook. f. l.c. —Very slender, with much of the habit and appearance of a Hydrocotyle. Stems filiform, branched, creeping and rooting at the nodes, 2–12 in. long. Leaves 2–6 at each node, membranous, glabrous or with a few scattered hairs, 3-foliolate; leaflets ⅕–½ in. long, shortly stalked or sessile, obovate-cuneate to flabellate, irregularly 2–6-lobed or -toothed; lobes obtuse or apiculate; petioles slender, 1–4 in. long; stipules small, ciliate. Peduncles much shorter than the leaves, usually 2–3 springing from the same point. Umbels 2–8-flowered; involucral bracts subulate, ciliate or laciniate. Fruits obtusely tetragonous, longer than their pedicels; carpels rounded at the back, 5-ribbed.—Kirk, Students' Fl 193. Pozoa trifoliolata, Hook, f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 85, t. 18; Handb. N.Z. Fl 88. P. microdonta, Col. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxiii. (1891) 387.
North South Islands: Not uncommon from Hawke's Bay and Taranaki southwards. Sea-level to 2500 ft. November–February. |