Kunzea serotina de Lange & Toelken

(Figs 9, 10, 11). Growth habit erect, initially columnar to tightly pyramidal, fastigiate, densely branched shrubs or trees 3–20 × 2–4 m developing with time into less densely branched, open pyramidal crowns; in very stable conditions growth habit changing in aged specimens to a more openly branched, flat-topped, divergent crown, with branches restricted to upper half to third of trunk. Trunk usually single, very rarely 2–3 arising from base, 0.10–0.45(–0.86) m d.b.h., often basally buttressed, with basal portion of trunk covered in numerous, curled, chartaceous bark remnants. Bark early bark chartaceous, greyish-white to pinkish-white, ± elongate, initially with few transverse cracks but soon becoming heavily cracked (especially on branch flanges and decurrent leaf bases), often crumpled, soon detaching as in-rolled, curled, sinuous, irregular pieces, with ± frayed margins, detached pieces often congregating in branch forks and forming deep drifts at trunk base; old bark similar though more distinctly chartaceous-corky, upper surface with much secondary peeling, transverse cracking and crumpling; detaching readily, with flakes often hanging in loose curled masses beneath main branch forks and along trunk, margins rather irregular, sinuous, very rarely somewhat tabular; early and old bark flakes crumbling readily in hand. Branches numerous, usually arising at or near trunk base; short and stout, obliquely ascending, fastigiate; branchlets numerous, very leafy with many brachyblasts, quadrangular, indumentum copious, sericeous; persistent, divergent 0.05–0.06(–0.08) μm, hyaline to translucent (appearing white when young maturing grey) apices curved or slightly curled. Vegetative buds usually inconspicuous and obscured by surrounding foliage; at resting stage 0.2–0.5(–1.3) mm diam.; scales scarious, deciduous, (0.3–)0.8(–1.3) mm long, yellow-brown to red-brown, ovate, ovate-deltoid to broadly deltoid-rostrate; midrib prominent, strongly keeled in upper half, prolonged to long cuspidate tip, lateral veins absent, oil glands usually absent, upper half of scale margins, keel, and keel apex ciliate. Leaves heterophyllous; seedling, subadult leaves and those of reversion shoots, spreading to patent; lamina (0.8–)5.2(–7.8) × (0.6–)0.8(–1.2) mm, red-green or pale green suffused with red, rarely bright green, linear-lanceolate to lanceolate; flat or involute, apex acute to obtuse, finely cuspidate; adult leaves usually densely aggregated along brachyblasts of branchlets, initially obliquely ascending to suberect, spreading; lamina (2.0–)3.7(–6.3) × (0.8–)1.1(–1.8) mm, dark glossy green or bronze-green, margins and base often flushed red, linear-oblanceolate, oblanceolate to obovate; strongly recurved from about half of total length, apex initially acute to subacute, maturing obtuse to rounded, often cuspidate; base attenuate; adaxial surface concave or flat, glandular punctate; oil glands up to 780, more evident when dry, midrib slightly raised near base, otherwise not evident for rest of length, glabrous, very rarely with fine antrorse hairs near base; abaxial surface convex, glandular punctate, oil glands up to 180, more evident when dry; midrib flush with surface or depressed, glabrous, very rarely with a fine covering of silky, antrorse-appressed, antrorse to patent hairs near base; lamina margin sparsely hairy, hairs finely silky, flexuose, appressed to spreading, antrorse to subantrorse up to 0.08 mm long, hyaline to translucent, appearing as white to naked eye, aligned in one usually interrupted row failing well short of cuspidate leaf apex. Perules scarious, persistent, (0.3–)0.6(–1.0) mm; basal ones amber-brown to dark brown, broadly ovate, ovate-oblong, ± rostrate, apex acute, margins flat to involute especially in upper third, midrib weakly keeled, usually prolonged as a very short, deciduous, cuspidate apex, with one row of 4–12 oil glands on each side of midrib, glabrous except for finely ciliate margin and apex; intermediate perules deciduous, chartaceous, (0.2–)0.6(–0.8) mm long, initially pale brown to orange, upper perules usually pinkish-white when fresh, drying amber-brown to amber-orange, ovate to ovate-oblong, apex obtuse often appearing acute due to apical infolding, ± cuspidate, glabrous except for sparsely ciliate margin, weakly keeled, keel ± prolonged. Inflorescence a compact (1–)8(–12)-flowered corymbiform botryum up to 25 mm long, mostly borne on alternate, distinctly spiralled, basally densely leafy brachyblasts up to 15 mm long, each often bearing a terminal tuft of pherophylls and emergent leaves at anthesis; brachyblasts near branchlet apex usually subopposite; inflorescences at the ultimate branchlet terminus, uncommon, if present then often rather elongated and bearing well developed terminal vegetative growth. Inflorescence axis densely invested with divergent hairs. Pherophylls deciduous (falling very early), mostly foliose (rarely squamiform), 0.9–2.5 mm long, green to bronze-green, spathulate, spathulate-orbicular, rarely pandurate or lanceolate, margins and apex finely ciliate, grading into leaves at inflorescence axis apex. Pedicels (3.0–)3.5(–4.8) mm long at anthesis, usually elongating slightly after anthesis, terete, copiously invested in short, divergent to subantrorse, silky hairs. Flower buds clavate to pyriform, apex flat to weakly domed prior to bud burst with calyx valves not or scarcely meeting. Fresh flowers when fully expanded (2.8–)5.2(–8.8) mm diam. Hypanthium (1.6–)2.0(–3.4) × (1.5–)1.9(–3.8) mm, with free portion 0.4–0.8 mm long, dark green or red-green, if green then basally flushed with red when fresh, drying brown-green to red-brown; urceolate to campanulate terminating in a distinctly thicker rim bearing five persistent calyx lobes; surface smooth, copiously dotted with red oil glands, finely puberulent to ± glabrescent, with weakly defined ridges leading up to calyx lobes (these becoming more distinct upon drying); hairs if present, very short, divergent. Calyx lobes 5, upright (not spreading), firmly fleshy, (0.8–)1.0(–1.2) × (0.7–)1.0(–1.2) mm, persistent, ovate to broadly ovate, weakly keeled (keel evident only in dried specimens, where it is seen as a slightly thicker, often pale yellow, green or pink, central ridge), central portion of lobe pale green or yellow-green, with margins usually cream to pale pink, surface glandular punctate, oil glands usually pink in exposed situations otherwise ± colourless, glabrous except for distinctly spreading, ciliate margins. Receptacle usually pink at anthesis, consistently darkening to dark crimson magenta after fertilisation. Petals 5(–6), 1.4–1.6(–2.0) × 1.2–1.6(–2.0) mm, white, sometimes basally flushed pink, narrowly orbicular to broadly ovate or cuneate, apex obtuse to rounded, margins ± frayed to finely and irregularly toothed, oil glands yellow when fresh, when dried very pale yellow to colourless. Stamens 20–26(–38) in 1(–2) weakly defined whorls, arising from the receptacle rim, filaments white occasionally tinged rose-pink toward base. Antipetalous stamens (2–)3(–4), antisepalous stamens (1–)3(–6). Outermost antipetalous stamens usually weakly incurved, on filaments 0.7–1.9 mm long, inner stamen if present, 0.3–0.8 mm, strongly or weakly incurved, sometimes strongly outcurved, very rarely a further 1–2 strongly incurved stamens, 0.3–0.6 mm long, may be present at the base of the outermost antipetalous pair. Antisepalous stamens much shorter than outermost antipetalous stamens, 0.2–0.6 mm, usually incurved, rarely outcurved or in mixtures of both. Anthers dorsifixed, 0.04–0.06 × 0.02–0.04 mm, testiculate to ellipsoid, latrorse. Pollen white (11.1–)12.4(–13.7) μm. Anther connective gland prominent, orange often flushed with rose when fresh, drying dark orange-brown or purple, spheroidal, distinctly papillate. Ovary 3–4(–5) locular, each with 10–18(–23) ovules in two rows on each placental lobe. Style 0.6–0.8(–1.2) mm long at anthesis, often elongating slightly after anthesis, white; stigma capitate, scarcely wider than style, usually flat to very weakly domed along margins with a basal central depression, greenish-white, cream or pale pink, surface finely papillate. Fruits rarely persistent (1.2–)2.1(–3.0) × (1.2–)2.1(–3.4) mm, light brown to grey, finely hairy, urceolate to shortly-campanulate, rarely cupular, splits concealed by dried, suberect to erect, free portion of hypanthium and incurved calyx lobes. Seeds 0.60–0.90(–1.00) × 0.48–0.50(–0.60) mm, narrowly oblong, oblong, oblong-obovate, curved near apex, laterally compressed, 2–3-angled with convex to flattened faces, apex rounded to subacute; base cuneate to oblique, ± flattened; testa semi-glossy, orange-brown to dark brown, surface coarsely reticulate. FL: (Nov–)Jan–Feb(–May) FT: Jan–Dec. Chromosome Number n = 11II, 2n = 22 (see de Lange and Murray 2004).

(Fig. 12). Endemic, New Zealand, North and South Islands (30–2000 m a.s.l.). In the North Island present from about Te Kuiti, the Paeroa Range, Mt Tarawera and Kaingaroa Plain south through the Central Volcanic Plateau to the northern Aorangi Range. Absent from the high country west of Tongariro Forest, including Mt Taranaki/Egmont. In the South Island, present in the east from the upper Wairau River, and west from Karamea and the Wangapeka Valley inland along the upper Buller River and Nelson Lakes area, south through the main axial ranges to Sumner and the upper Hurunui catchment. Extending east into North Canterbury, particularly in the inland Hanmer, Emu and Amuri plains, thence present as isolated remnant stands on the Canterbury Plains. Otherwise apparently absent until Lakes Hawea and Wanaka from where it is locally present through portions of eastern Central Otago to about Roxburgh on the Clutha River and Nenthorn.