Libertia edgariae Blanchon, B.G.Murray & Braggins

Plants consisting of leafy fans crowded or emerging at intervals from far- spreading horizontal stolons; stolons c. 2 mm diam., pale yellow in colour. Leaves 120–620 mm × 1–5(– 9) mm, the two surfaces similar; green to pale yellow; nerves many, the median ones sometimes crowded to form a pale midrib; margins only scabrid at tip of leaf; leaf in transverse section convex lens shaped, two rows of vascular bundles present centrally, marginal vascular bundles present, sclerenchyma present on inside of leaf sheath. Peduncles ½ length of total inflorescence, inflorescences of similar length to leaves. Panicle broad, much and widely branched, lower bracts long (15–120 mm), lanceolate, green, upper bracts shorter, brown and membranous, occurring singly, 1–4 flowers per branch. Pedicels slender, glabrous, 10–20(–35) mm long. In flower bud, perianth often pigmented externally, often larger than ovary. Flowers 10– 20 mm diam.; tepals all white internally, widely patent; outer tepals < ½ the length of the inner, narrower, elliptical, boat-shaped, with reduced apiculus; inner tepals orbicular, unguiculate, often overlapping outer, cleft present at tip. Staminal filaments shortly connate; anthers 2–3 mm long, bright yellow, pollen sacs broad, connective narrow; pollen ellipsoidal, monosulcate, 24.9–32.6 × 17.3– 24.9 µm. Ovary small compared with perianth bud at anthesis; style branches not winged, pointing upwards. Capsule 5–9 mm long, 3–6 mm diam., barrel-shaped, green, turning black on maturity, dehiscing fully or partially from shorter or longer loculicidal splitting, the longer valves often recurved. Seeds c. 1.0 × 1.5 mm, rounded or sometimes angular, surface texture reticulate-foveolate, bright tangerine orange. FL Sep–Nov; FR Dec–May.

[Reproduced from Blanchon et al. (2002, New Zealand J. Bot. 40: 437–456) with permission from The Royal Society of New Zealand.]