Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Asteliaceae
Genus: Astelia
Species: A. nivicola var. nivicola
Synonym: Astelia nivicola
Binomial name: Astelia nivicola var. nivicola
Astelia nivicola var. nivicola is a low alpine rhizomatous tufted perennial indigenous to the South Island of New Zealand. It grows >30 cm high in patches in damp areas in snow tussock. Its pale green leaves are keeled and tapered growing >40 cm in length and >3 cm wide. The leaves underside are covered in white felt pilose.
After flowering which is rare, orange fleshy berries develop. They are dispersed by frugivory (fruit-eating fauna).
Photographed at Christchurch Botanical Gardens. Plant collected from Mt Terako.
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Thanks to Wikipedia for text and information: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
