- = Celmisia perpusilla Colenso, Trans. & Proc. New Zealand Inst. 22: 470 (1889 [1890])
- = Celmisia longifolia var. graminifolia Kirk, Stud. Fl. New Zealand 289 (1899)
Slender tufted herb arising from rather stout simple or branched stock. Lamina thin, membr., sts almost flaccid, of diverse sizes and shapes (a single plant often bearing two or more forms), 5–15–20–(40) cm. × 4–5–(10) mm.; upper surface glab. when mature or carrying remains of thin pellicle, midrib and sts a pair of lateral nerves evident; lower clad in dense felt of soft white hairs or indumentum almost satiny; ± linear-lanceolate in the larger forms to ovate-lanceolate in some of the smaller, tapering to an acute apiculate apex; margins flat to very slightly recurved, entire or almost so, tapering gradually to petiole up to c. 2 cm. × 1 mm., then abruptly expanded into a very thin sheath ± 2–4 cm. × 5–7 mm., midnerve and lateral veins evident. Scape very slender, ± 10–20 cm. long, ribbed, rather densely clad in persistent appressed white tomentum; bracts us. few, very narrow-linear, with lamina up to c. 2 cm. long. Capitula ± 20–25–30 mm. diam.; phyll. almost scarious, up to c. 10 mm. long, linear-subulate, us. purplish on margins and in upper half, pale in lower half, ± ciliolate on margins and at apex. Ray-florets up to c. 15 mm. long; tube very slender, limb linear, midvein us. rather faint. Disk-florets c. 6 mm. long, narrow-funnelform, often pale yellow, teeth triangular. Achenes ± 4 mm. long, cylindric, glab., us. strongly ribbed. Pappus-hairs up to c. 6 mm. long, very slender, very finely barbellate.
[From: Allan (1961) Flora of New Zealand. Volume 1.]