Pimelea pseudolyallii Allan

A robust, procumbent shrub with few to many flexible stems up to 80 cm long and c. 8 cm high, but sometimes climbing in erect shrubs; occasionally with adventitious roots. In exposed sites plant size is reduced and plants may be appressed, with short, spreading stems. Branching sympodial and lateral. Branchlets light brown, moderately densely to sparsely covered in long, white, appressed hairs; internodes 2–6 mm long. Older stems glabrate to glabrous, smooth, dark brown. Node buttresses lunate, brown, often masked by hairs, not prominent on leafless stems. Leaves decussate, ascending at first, soon becoming patent, sometimes appearing distichous in appressed plants, on reddish petioles 0.5–1.5 mm long. Lamina medium to dark green, narrow–ovate to broad–ovate or elliptic to broad–elliptic or sometimes oblong, 5–15 × 3–6.5 mm, flat or slightly keeled, margin slightly down-turned, mid-vein clearly evident, sunken adaxially; tip acute, base cuneate; abaxial surface moderately to densely covered with long, white and glistening or sometimes yellowish, appressed hairs; stomata only on abaxial leaf surface. Inflorescences terminal, loose, 5–12-flowered. Involucral bracts 4, usually wider than adjacent ordinary leaves (10 × 7 mm). Receptacle densely hairy, sometimes slightly convex. Plants gynodioecious. Flowers white, scented, on short (0.6 mm) pedicels, very hairy outside, inside hairless. ♀ tube 3–4 mm long, ovary portion wrinkled, 2.3 mm, calyx lobes 2 × 1 mm; ♀ tube 5–6 mm long, ovary portion 2 mm, calyx lobes ascending, 2.5 × 1.4 mm. Anther dehiscence introrse. Ovary hair cover dense near summit, sparse to half way down. Fruits fleshy, red, broad–ovoid 4 × 3 mm. Seeds 2.6 × 1.3 mm. Flowering spring–summer.

[Reproduced from Burrows (2011, New Zealand J. Bot. 49: 41–106) with permission from The Royal Society of New Zealand.]

Flowering: Nov.–Jan.; Fruiting: Dec.–Feb.