Escallonia rubra (Ruiz & Pav.) Pers.

Densely branched shrub up to 2–(4) m high; twigs with stalked glands, and densely clothed in short, simple erect hairs, striate, viscid; older branches with grey, peeling bark. Lvs on younger branches but persisting on older wood, elliptic to broadly elliptic or broadly obovate, 2.5–9 × 1.5–4.5 cm, mostly acute, rarely some obtuse, serrate, tapering to short petiole, glabrous and shining above, aromatic; lower surface somewhat dull, pale green, with gland dots and conspicuous veins. Infls terminal, small, loose, paniculate. Calyx densely glandular, usually also with simple hairs; lobes c. 3 mm long, triangular, glandular. Corolla red or pink, 12–18 mm diam.; petals erect, forming a tube c. 6–10 mm long; limbs 3–5 mm long, spreading. Ovary disc narrowly conic; style 7–10 mm long. Capsule obovoid, 3–5 mm long.

[From: Webb et al. (1988) Flora of New Zealand. Volume 4.]

Flowering: Oct.–May.