- ≡ Celmisia longifolia var. alpina Kirk, Trans. & Proc. New Zealand Inst. 27: 328 (1895)
Tufted herb with us. much and closely branched woody stock up to ± 6 cm. long, pseudo-stems up to c. 2 cm. long, close-set. Lvs very narrow-linear, subcoriac.; lamina ± 15–30 × (0·5)–0.75–1 mm.; upper surface canaliculate, grey-green, glab.; lower densely clad in appressed soft white tomentum, midrib evident; apex acute, sts shortly apiculate; margins us. much recurved, entire, narrowed to glab., pale, thin sheath c. 10 × 1 mm., with evident midrib. Scape 3–5 cm. long, very slender, finely grooved, ± clad in deciduous floccose hairs; bracts almost filiform, ascending, up to 10 mm. long. Capitula ± 15–20 mm. diam. Outer phyll. narrow-ovate, c. 7 mm. long; inner narrowly linear-subulate to narrow-lanceolate, c. 9 mm. long; both series almost scarious, midrib evident, margins sparingly hairy, tips acute, dark. Ray-florets ± 12 mm. long, tube very slender, limb widening to apex; disk-florets ± 5 mm. long, tubular to very narrowly funnelform, teeth narrow-triangular. Achenes narrow-cylindric, finely ribbed, c. 2.5–3 mm. long, glab. Pappus-hairs white, slender, up to 5 mm. long, very finely barbellate.
[From: Allan (1961) Flora of New Zealand. Volume 1.]