Habitat: bank, clay, coast, dry, loam, lowland, margin, open, ridge, roadside, sand, shaded, sheltered, shrubland, slope, stone, terrace, track, wasteland

Dispersal: Seed

Distribution from the Australasian Virtual Herbarium. CC-BY 3.0 AU
Distribution from the Australasian Virtual Herbarium. CC-BY 3.0 AU
 Recognition
  • a deciduous, densely branched rounded shrub to 3 m high with stems that are hairless and mottled.
  • its leaves are clustered toward the ends of the branchlets, and are up to 20 cm long and coarsely toothed.
  • its inflorescence is a flat-topped and much branched and is contains many sterile flowers with large coloured bracts.
  • its fertile flowers are small (3 mm across) and with pink or blue petals.
  • its capsule is about 5 mm long.
 Images
Image: Trevor James © Trevor James
Image: Trevor James © Trevor James
Image: P.B. Heenan © Landcare Research 2012
Image: P.B. Heenan © Landcare Research 2012
Image: Trevor James © Trevor James
Image: Trevor James © Trevor James
Weeds Key – interactive key to the weed species of New Zealand
 References
Howell, C. 2008: Consolidated list of environmental weeds in New Zealand. DOC Research & Development Series 292: 42.