editorial

Saldivia 2024 does not accept the vatieties of C. hieracifolia (var. oblonga and var, gracilis). But it is helpful to recognise var. gracilis and var. hieraciifoliawithin Celmisia hieraciifolia. Var. gracilis occurs in Western Nelson Province and is smaller-leaved than var. hieraciifolia or C. dallii. Var. hieraciifoliaoccurs in the Tararua Range and in Sounds-Nelson Province north of the Wairau River and has leaves similar in size to those of C. dallii. Celmisia dallii does not occur in Sounds-Nelson Province or the Tararaua Ranges and so locality is the key to separating C. dallii and C. hieraciifolia var. hieraciifolia without needing to see flower scape bracts. var. gracilis Allan: Leaf lamina length 25–40 mm; Leaf width (2–)4–14 mm; Recognition: Var. gracilis and Celmisia dallii occur together on ranges north and south of the Cobb River, on the Arthur Range, and on the Marino Mountains. In this area of overlap there is no problem distinguishing the two on leaf size as C. hieraciifolia var. gracilishas a lamina 25–40 mm long and 4–14 mm wide, whereas C. dallii has a lamina 50–230 mm long and 21–40 mm wide. Distribution: Western Nelson (Cobb River, Lead Hills, Douglas Range, Peel Range, Lake Sylvester, Cobb Valley, Brown Cow Ridge, Lookout Range, Bald Knob Ridge, Mt Hope, Mt Murchison), Westland (Saint Arnaud Range), Canterbury (Jacks Pass). var. hieraciifolia Leaf lamina length 40–105 mm. Leaf width 11–26 mm. Recognition: Similar to Celmisia dallii in leaf size but not overlapping in distribution with that species. Celmisia hieraciifolia has flowering scape leaves 1.5–4 mm wide while C. dallii has wider scape leaves, 4–11 mm wide. Plants on the Richmond Range, Dun Mountain, and Bryant Range tend to be large-leaved (lamina 40–105 mm long, 11–26 mm wide) and often have a conspicuous white rim of hairs on the upper leaf surface. The leaves are similar in size to those of C. dallii. On Mt Stokes they are smaller (lamina 32–55 x 7–12 mm) but still larger on average than leaves of var. gracilis. Plants in the Tararua Ranges also have large leaves (lamina 40–90 mm long, 11–22 mm wide), similar in size to those on the Richmond and Bryant ranges. Distribution: Southern North Island (Tararua Ranges), Sounds-Nelson (Editor Hill, Wairau Peak, Mt Richmond, Fishtail, Starveall, Ben Nevis, Mt Duppa, Maungatapu, Bryant Range, Mt Stokes, Mt Riley).