Haastia sinclairii


Haastia sinclairii is a species of small flowering plant in the South Island of New Zealand.

Description

A small, green plant with a single stem and leaves that seem to surround the stem in slightly revolving circles, with a white flower that can have orange or yellow petals on the outer rim. Prostrate.
Allan described the species this way:
Plant sparingly to much branched, decumbent to suberect. Branchlets up to c. 30 cm. long, 4-6 mm. diam. Lvs ± patent, up to 3·5 × 1·5 cm., oblong-obovate, subacute to rounded at apex, densely clad in whitish subappressed tomentum, except on adaxial surface of appressed base, upper part slightly thickened, somewhat rugose; veins 5-10, anastomosing above. Capitula c. 3 cm. diam.; receptacle 5-6 mm. diam. Phyll. narrow-oblanceolate, subacuminate, pilose on abaxial surface, c. 1 cm. long. Achenes c. 2 mm. long, narrow-linear. Pappus up to 1 cm. long.

Range

Its known range is in the South Island of New Zealand.

Habitat

Alpine and subalpine habitats. Scree fields, in particular.

Taxonomy

Haastia sinclairii contains the following varieties:
  • Haastia sinclairii var. sinclairii
  • Haastia sinclairii var. fulvida
It is in a clade together with Haastia recurva. The genus was named after Julius von Haast.