creeping mountain foxglove

Ourisia caespitosa plants are perennial herbs. The stems are creeping, many-branched, and densely packed with repent, opposite leaves. Leaf petioles are 0.8–9.4 mm long. Leaf blades are 1.9–9.4 mm long by 1.1–6.3 mm wide (length: width ratio 1.2–2.0: 1), usually narrowly to broadly ovate or obovate, widest below or above the middle, with a rounded apex, cuneate base, and trilobed or with up to 4 irregular notches or teeth. Leaves mostly glabrous, and on the lower surface densely punctate. Inflorescences are erect, glabrous racemes up to 125 mm (4.9 in) long, with 1–3 flowering nodes and up to 6 total flowers per raceme. Each flowering node 1–2 flowers and 2 sessile, clasping bracts that are usually narrowly to broadly ovate or obovate. The lowest bracts are similar to the leaves, 3.1–8.2 mm long and 1.4–6.3 mm wide, and become smaller toward the tip of the raceme. The flowers are borne on a glabrous pedicel up to 32 mm long. The calyx is 4.3–7.4 mm long, irregular, with 3 lobes divided to about one-quarter the length of the calyx and 2 divided to near the base, and usually glabrous. The corolla is 11.3–19.3 mm long (including the 3.9–9.7 mm long corolla tube), white, bilabiate, tubular-funnelform, glabrous on the outside, with 3 lines of yellow hairs on the inside. The corolla lobes are 3.5–10.9 mm long, spreading, and obovate to obcordate. …

Ourisia caespitosa is a New Zealand foxglove that is endemic to the North, South and Stewart Islands of New Zealand. It is widespread and common in most high-elevation areas. In the North Island, it is found in the Gisborne, Volcanic Plateau and Southern North Island regions, whereas on the South Island it widespread throughout all regions. On Stewart Island, it is known from Mount Anglem / Hananui. It grows in herbfields, grasslands and scrub above the bush line, often in damp places, on shingle, scree, rocks, crevices, outcrops and cliffs from 540 to 2,000 metres (1,770 to 6,560 ft) above sea level.