Pimelea tomentosa (J.R.Forst. & G.Forst.) Druce

An erect to suberect, medium-sized to tall shrub up to 2 m high, usually shorter, branches slender, often virgate, young branchlets moderately to densely covered in short, appressed, or long, fine hair; internode length 1.5–10 mm; older stems glabrate, becoming glabrous, brown. Node buttresses small (0.2 mm long), lunate, masked by hair on young branchlets, not prominent on leafless stems. leaves decussate, ascendant, becoming patent or deflexed, persistent, on short (1 mm) red petioles; lamina glabrous on adaxial side, sparsely to moderately densely hairy on abaxial side (sometimes glabrous), pale to medium green, 15-25 mm long x 3-5 mm wide, narrow-elliptic or narrow-ovate, usually thin, flat, midvein prominent on abaxial side, sometimes red, sunken on adaxial side; lateral veins apparent or obscure on either side, margins slightly downturned; obtuse or acute, often with a tuft of hair at the tip, base cuneate or truncate. Stomata on both adaxial and abaxial surfaces.

Inflorescences terminal on branchlets, loose, 4-8-flowered. Involucral bracts 4, similar in size to adjacent leaves or longer and wider (up to 28 x 5 mm). Plants gynodioecious. Flowers white or rarely yellow, sometimes with a red throat or red ovary portion, on very short pedicels (0.5 mm), thin-textured, circumscissile above ovary portion in some populations; tube and calyx lobes moderately densely hairy outside; inside with or without hair. ♀ tube 5 mm long, ovary portion 4 mm, calyx lobes 2 x 0.6 mm; ☿ tube 5.5 mm long, ovary portion 3 mm, calyx lobes 2 × 1.5 mm. Anther filaments inserted just below mouth of tube; anther dehiscence introrse. Ovary with a cluster of hairs at summit. Fruits broadovoid, fleshy, 6-11 × 4-7 mm, dark purple-black, dark red, yellow or white. Seeds 3×2 mm, thin crest. Flowering time spring-summer.

[Reproduced from Burrows (2009, New Zealand J. Bot. 47: 325–354) with permission from The Royal Society of New Zealand.]

Flowering: Sep.–Dec.; Fruiting: Oct.–Jan.