Astelia sect. Micrastelia Skottsb.

Birch, Joanne L., 2015, A revision of infrageneric classification in Astelia Banks & Sol. ex R. Br. (Asteliaceae), PhytoKeys 52, pp. 105-132 : 115

Astelia sect. Micrastelia Skottsb.

Astelia sect. Micrastelia Skottsb., Kongl. Svenska Vetenskapsakad. Handl. ser. 3, 14(2): 56. 1934.

Note.

Low, compact, turf forming growth form; leaves caniculate; inflorescence bearing few flowers; staminate flowers with short filaments (0.6-1.9 mm); pistillate flowers with short outer tepals (2.6-3.8 × 0.8-1.3 mm); ovary trilocular, intermediate length (2.6-3.8 mm); fruit ellipsoid, many seeds per fruit (17-24); seeds short and narrow (1.1-1.7 × 0.5-0.8 mm). Type: Astelia pumila (Forst.) Gaudich.

Remarks.

The relationships of Astelia sect. Micrastelia are poorly resolved, with alternate relationships with Astelia subg. Asteliopsis and the clade containing Astelia subg. Tricella and Collospermum (Birch unpublished PhD thesis 2011, Birch et al. 2012). Astelia sect. Microastelia contains a single species, Astelia pumila , which is a compact, turf-forming plant and dominant component of Astelia moorland in Chile, the Falkland Islands, and Tierra del Fuego. As a cushion-forming species, it differs morphologically from Astelia subg. Asteliopsis , which contains species with open, spreading growth form that are epiphytic or terrestrial and primarily found of the understory in lowland to montane forests. Astelia pumila does share morphological features with Astelia subg. Asteliopsis (e.g. short pistillode or pistil) and, alternatively, with Astelia subg. Collospermum and Astelia subg. Tricella (e.g. seeds with a short, truncate funicle). The subgeneric placement of Astelia sect. Micrastelia remains equivocal and the section is unplaced (incertae sedis).

Included species and distribution.

Chile, Falkland Islands, Tierra del Fuego: Astelia pumila (Forst.) Gaudich.

Habitat.

Lowland (low latitudes) to sub-alpine (mid and higher latitudes) herbfields particularly on wet substrates (seeps, swamps etc.).