Kingdom: Plantae
(Unranked): Angiosperms
(Unranked): Eudicots
(Unranked): Asterids
Order: Ericales
Family: Ericaceae
Genus: Dracophyllum
Species: Dracophyllum recurvum
Binomial name: Dracophyllum recurvum
Common name: Curved Leaf Grass Tree, Curved Leaved Mountain Neinie
Dracophyllum recurvum is a prostrate to semi-erect shrub which grows up to one metre high at lower altitudes, or down to less than five centimetres at higher altitudes.
Dracophyllum recurvum is found in central and eastern mountains of the North Island in subalpine to high-alpine regions, from open subalpine scrub through to higher rocky areas.
It has thin, recurved leaves 10-40 mm in length and approximately 2 mm wide. They are dark green at lower altitudes and are grey-green to reddish-brown at higher altitudes. The 6mm long flowers are white and occur as stout spikes during January and February.
D. recurvum is one of the few plant species that can survive the extreme conditions due to its wide-spreading root system, which firmly anchors the plant to the thin soil and this stops erosion.
Photographed on the Tongariro Alpine Crossing January at an elevation of 1780 m
Photographed at Otari Native Botanic Garden and Wilton's Bush Reserve. Wellington.
Flowering March.
A prostrate form
Thanks to Wikipedia for text and information http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
