Leptinella lanata
Synonyms
Cotula lanata (Hook.f.) Hook.f.
Family
Asteraceae
Flora category
Vascular – Native
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledonous composites
Chromosome number
2n = 52
Current conservation status
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2017 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website. This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2012 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants.
Please note, threat classifications are often suggested by authors when publications fall between NZTCS assessment periods – an interim threat classification status has not been assessed by the NZTCS panel.
- Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2017 . 2018. Peter J. de Lange, Jeremy R. Rolfe, John W. Barkla, Shannel P. Courtney, Paul D. Champion, Leon R. Perrie, Sarah M. Beadel, Kerry A. Ford, Ilse Breitwieser, Ines Schönberger, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Peter B. Heenan and Kate Ladley. Department of Conservation. Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2017 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: DP, RR
Previous conservation statuses
2012 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: RR, SO
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: IE
2004 | Range Restricted
Distribution
Indigenous. Auckland Islands and Campbell Island/Motu Ihupuku. Also recently (2004) discovered on Heard Island.
Habitat
Coastal on rocks, cliff tops, on damp exposed peat, in rock crevices and within seal haul outs and bird nesting grounds.
Detailed description
Robust, monoecious, creeping perennial herb forming small diffuse patches. Rhizomes on soil or rock surfaces, stout, 1–4 mm diameter, somewhat fleshy, initially covered with a thick tangle of lanate hairs, soon becoming glabrate or glabrous, dark brown and more or less woody; branches usually clustered, up to 4 radiating from around a flowering node; leaves 2–4 clustered at apex, most 20–50 mm distant. Short shoots usually absent, occasionally present as a few reduced leaves. Roots largely confined to older stems, slender up to 1 mm diameter. Leaves 1-pinnatifid, 10–25 × 4–10 mm; blade 5–20 mm long, broadly elliptic, thick, fleshy, light green, covered with a few lanate hairs when young, especially on rhachis, glabrate to glabrous; midrib not raised on ventral surface; pinnae 3–5 pairs, distal ones overlapping, cut to rhachis, broadly elliptic or oblong if undivided; teeth up to 4 per pinna, on larger pinna, mostly on distal margin, cut ½ across pinna, triangular, obtuse. Peduncles borne on rhizomes, longer than leaves, 10–30 mm, slender, ebracteate, densely lanate hairy. Capitula 6–10 mm diameter, surface hemisperhical; involucre hemispherical; involucral bracts 30 in 2–3-seriate, subequal rows, broadly elliptic, thick, fleshy, green, covered with deciduous lanate hairs, margins narrowly hyaline, scarious; pistillate florets 50–100, 2- or more seriate, 3 mm long, more or less straight, yellow-green, corolla twice as long as wide, dentition equal, staminate florets 70–90. Cypsela up to 2.3 × 0.8 mm, golden-brown, turgid, obscurely 4-angled, shiny and unwrinkled.
Similar taxa
The lanate (woolly) rhizomes, glabrescent leaves and lanate peduncles serve to distinguish this species from all other representatives of the genus in New Zealand. It is so distinctive that it could not be confused with any of the other Leptinella species recorded from the New Zealand Subantarctic islands.
Flowering
October–April
Flower colours
Green, Yellow
Fruiting
December–May
Life cycle
Papery cypselae are dispersed by wind and possibly attachment (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Easy from rooted pieces but requires cool conditions to thrive. Will not tolerate humidity.
Threats
Not threatened but listed because it is a narrow range endemic confined to a small geographic area.
Etymology
leptinella: From the Greek word leptos (meaning slender, thin or delicate), referring to the ovary
lanata: Woolly
Where To Buy
Not commercially available
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange 31 August 2006. Description from Lloyd (1972).
References and further reading
Lloyd DG. 1972. A revision of the New Zealand, Subantarctic, and South American species of Cotula, section Leptinella. New Zealand Journal of Botany 10(2): 277–372. https://doi.org/10.1080/0028825X.1972.10429156.
Thorsen MJ, Dickinson KJM, Seddon PJ. 2009. Seed dispersal systems in the New Zealand flora. Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 11: 285–309.
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Leptinella lanata Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/leptinella-lanata/ (Date website was queried)