The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Raoulia eximia

Etymology

Raoulia: Named after Étienne Fiacre Louis Raoul (23 July 1815–30 March 1852) who was a French naval surgeon and naturalist. He published a book Choix de plantes de la Nouvelle-Zélande ("Selected plants of New Zealand") in 1846. The genus was named after him by Joseph Hooker.
eximia: Strikingly unusual

Common Name(s)

Vegetable sheep

Threat Status

Non Threatened

Status 2004

Non Threatened

Authority

Raoulia eximia Hook.f.

Family

Asteraceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

Synonyms

Haastia greenii Hook.f.; Psychrophyton eximium Beauverd

Distribution

Endemic. South Island - mostly east of the main divide from Marlborough to northern Southland

Habitat

Subalpine to alpine. In rocky ground such as scree and talus slopes, cliff faces and boulder falls and in fellfield

Features

Stock very stout, woody; branches woody below, very densely compacted, forming rounded cushions up to 1 m or more diameter, up to 1 m tall. Leaves densely imbricate, 3.0-4.0 × up to 1.5 mm, 1-nerved, obovate- to oblong-spathulate to narrow-oblong, rounded at apex; apical portion on both surfaces with dense brush of long straight hairs exceeding and obscuring outline of lamina; ventral surface glabrous below; dorsal surface clad in ascending straight hairs. Capitula c.3 mm diameter. Inner series of involucral bracts linear, 3-4 mm long, scarious on margins, pilose in upper portion, tips not white, not radiating. Florets 10-15 or more. Achenes hardly 1 mm long, clad in long silky hairs; pappus-hairs rigid

Flowering

November - January

Fruiting

January - April

Propagation Technique

Difficult - should not be removed from the wild

Threats

Not Threatened

Chromosome No.

2n = 28

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

Yes

Endemic Family

No

This page last updated on 8 Apr 2013