Senecio compactus Kirk

An evergreen shrub of compact, much branched habit, 2 to 4 ft high, spreading twice as wide; young shoots, undersurface of leaves and flower-stalks all clothed with a pure white, dense felt. Leaves obovate or oval, rounded at the apex, tapered at the base, the lower larger ones mostly wavy at the margin, the small upper ones almost or quite entire; they are 1⁄2 to 2 in. long, 1⁄4 to 1 in. wide, becoming smaller near the inflorescence, upper surface dark dull green, with persistent white margins when seen from above; stalks 1⁄4 to 3⁄4 in. long, felted. Flower-heads 3⁄4 to 1 in. wide, three to ten of them forming a terminal raceme; ray-florets about twelve, bright yellow.

Native of the North Island, New Zealand. This handsome shrub is unfortunately not quite hardy near London, but is capable of surviving moderate winters if given a sheltered nook and a slight covering during cold spells. In the south and south-west it grows admirably without protection. Its compact habit, small leaves with crinkled margins, and clusters of racemes each terminating a slender shoot of the year, renders it distinct. It flowers in January and February in New Zealand and in the corresponding antipodal months (July and August) here. It occurs wild on limestone. Its nearesr relative is S. monroi which has conspicuously wavy margined, narrower leaves and glandular flower-stalks.