About Ourisia macrocarpa Hook.fil.
Ourisia macrocarpa Hook.fil. is a large perennial herb species. It has creeping horizontal stems, with opposite leaves that grow in tight tufts along the stems. Leaf petioles measure 34.5โ150.0 mm (1.36โ5.91 inches) in length. Leaf blades are 12.3โ135.1 mm (0.48โ5.32 inches) long and 7.4โ71.4 mm (0.29โ2.81 inches) wide, with a length-to-width ratio of 1.0โ1.7:1. Leaf blades are broadly to very broadly ovate, widest below the middle, with an acute apex, a rounded or cordate base, and regularly crenate edges. Most leaves are glabrous (hairless), with only a fringe of non-glandular hairs on the lower leaf edges; the lower leaf surface is densely punctate, and sometimes non-glandular hairs are also present on the leaf midvein. Its inflorescences are erect, typically consisting of glabrous racemes up to 61 cm (24 inches) long. Each raceme has 1โ8 flowering nodes and can hold up to 32 or more total flowers. Each flowering node holds up to 9 flowers, along with 3โ9 sessile, clasping bracts that are usually lanceolate to narrowly ovate, or oblanceolate to obovate. The lowest bracts are similar in size and shape to the plant's leaves, measuring 12.2โ240 mm long and 3.9โ10.2 mm wide, and bracts become smaller toward the apex of the raceme. Flowers are carried on pedicels up to 64.7 mm long that are either glabrous or hairy, with only non-glandular hairs present. The calyx is 7.5โ12.2 mm long and irregular: two lobes are divided all the way to the base, while three lobes are divided to one-half to two-thirds of the calyx length. A small number to dense distribution of non-glandular hairs cover the smooth edges and base of the calyx. The corolla is 16.4โ31.3 mm long (including a 5.7โ16.1 mm long corolla tube), bilabiate, and tubular-funnelform. It is glabrous and white (sometimes pink-flushed) on the outside, and yellow on the inside with three lines of yellow hairs. Corolla lobes are 5.9โ15.3 mm long, spreading, and shaped obovate or obcordate. There are 4 didynamous stamens up to 15.9 mm long: two long stamens are exserted, and two short stamens reach the opening of the corolla tube. A short staminode 0.5โ4.1 mm long is also present. The style is 5.5โ10.7 mm long, and it is either exserted or reaches the corolla tube opening, with an emarginate stigma. The ovary is 3.0โ4.6 mm long and glabrous. Fruits are capsules 5.0โ9.9 mm long and 4.0โ8.0 mm wide, that open via loculicidal dehiscence, and are carried on pedicels up to 80.5 mm long. Each capsule contains approximately 630 seeds; seeds are 0.4โ1.3 mm long and 0.1โ0.8 mm wide, with a two-layered, reticulate seed coat. Ourisia macrocarpa flowers from December to February, and fruits from December to March. Its chromosome number is 2n=48. This species is endemic to the southern South Island of New Zealand, specifically found in Otago, Southland, and Fiordland. It grows in wet habitats including subalpine herbfields, scrub, bogs, and grasslands, at elevations between 360 to 1,550 m (1,180 to 5,090 ft) above sea level.
