About Haastia pulvinaris Hook.fil.
Haastia pulvinaris Hook.fil. is a stout, white perennial plant that grows in thick, felted mats. Each section of the mat holds a roughly circular felted leaf about 1 inch wide; the center of a section may sometimes hold a black dot or an orange flower. Mats of this species can grow up to several metres in length, and viewed from a distance they resemble a flock of sheep. This species is known to occur only in the South Island of New Zealand; a species of Raoulia forms similar "vegetable sheep" growth on the North Island. Haastia pulvinaris grows on scree slopes and alpine rock fields. Its dense, wool-like branchlets allow the plant to form tough mats on scree fields that are otherwise inhospitable to most plant life. It most often grows in isolation, though Epilobium, other grasses, and other flowers can sometimes be found growing near its mats.
