Forstera purpurata Glenny

Plants decumbent from short creeping stems and rooting from old leaf axils, (20–)100–175 mm long, leafy shoots erect. Stem (0.9–) 1.3–1.9 mm in diameter when fresh, 1.2–2.5(–2.9) mm in diameter when dry, dark purple, branches 1–4 per plant. Leafy parts of the branches 40–60 mm long, shoot with leaves 7.1–9.5 mm wide. Leaves spaced so as to leave the stem only just visible, most of each leaf patent to slightly squarrose; (2.9–)4.7–7.4 mm long, (1.3–)2.1–3.2 mm wide at widest point, (0.7–)l.3–2.0 mm wide at leaf base; widest above midleaf, apex 90° to obtuse; leaf plane; adaxially dark green or slightly dark blue-green and glossy, yellow-green to pale green abaxially with or without purple tinting over the stomatal zone of the leaf; median stripe distinct on lower leaf surface due to lack of or less intense purple tinting, with age in dried specimens becoming raised and orange-brown, narrowly triangular, (0.5–)1.3–2.0 mm wide at base, 0.3–0.4 mm wide at leaf apex, stomata forming a zone on lower leaf surface either side of median stripe at midleaf, not extending to the margin; leaf margin entire, a hyaline border 0.10–0.15 mm wide on all margins, slightly wider near the apex and sometimes uneven; an inconspicuous raised hydathode on upper leaf surface near the apex just below the hyaline border, yellow-green to brown.

Flowering stems 1–2 per plant. Peduncle dark crimson, (23–)45–75(–92) mm long, 0.40–0.50 mm in diameter throughout. Flowers 1 (–2) per peduncle, the second flower, where present, arising from the lowest bract axil. Bract 2.8–4.6 mm long, 1.0–1.6 mm wide, very narrowly ovate, red-brown, margins entire, glabrous, or with hairs 120–180 pm long. Pedicel, where present, 0.3–0.7 mm long. Bracteoles 2.4–3.5 mm long, 0.7–1.3 mm wide, glabrous or with hairs 170–380 pm long. Ovary (1.3–)2.0–3.0 mm long, green. Sepals 6,3.1–3.9 mm long, 1.2–1.6 mm wide, green speckled red-brown or crimson, marginal hairs 80–230(–260) pm long. Corolla 4.5–8.2 mm long, lobes 6 per flower, 3.4–5.5 mm long, 1.2–2.2 mm wide, apex obtuse, entire, outer surface mammillose due to inflated cells. Corolla white, usually with crimson speckles scattered at the top of the corolla tube, speckles sometimes absent; lobe sinuses yellow; 2 raised ridges present at the base of each corolla lobe, cream, yellow, or white. Nectaries 0.7–1.2 mm long, subulate, green or yellow with a green apex. Gynostemium 1.9–3.0 mm long, white; stigmas pale yellow and 0.4–0.5 mm long at anthesis, hyaline and 0.6 mm long in female phase. Anthers 0.8–1.0 mm long, walls dark violet with a hyaline mouth. Capsule 4.3–8.0 mm long. Seeds (0.9–)1.0–1.2 mm long.

[Reproduced from Glenny (2010, New Zealand J. Bot. 47: 285–315) with permission from The Royal Society of New Zealand.]