Astelia psychrocharis

Tufted herbs to c. 40 cm high, with a short, branching rhizome. Leaves 5–25 cm long, 1.5–3(–4) cm wide, both surfaces with a silvery indumentum and silky hairs basally. Scape bracts short, inconspicuous. Inflorescence a contracted few-flowered racemose panicle, 0.3–1.8 cm long, hidden among leaves; axis stout. Flowers reddish, 15–20 mm diam. Male flowers with perianth segments 5–10 mm long; stamens 1.5–3.5 mm long; ovary rudimentary. Female flowers with segments 5–10 mm long; staminodes rudimentary; ovary c. 5 mm long, 3-locular. Berry obovoid, 9–18 mm long, orange-yellow; seeds 2–12, c. 2 mm long.   Flowers Nov.–Mar.