Celmisia rupestris
Common name
mountain daisy
Synonyms
None
Family
Asteraceae
Flora category
Vascular – Native
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledonous composites
NVS code
The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.
CELRUP
Chromosome number
2n = 108
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, Sp
Previous conservation statuses
2012 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: Sp
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon
2004 | Not Threatened
Distribution
Endemic. South Island: North-West Nelson (Kahurangi National Park) - Mount Glasgow, Mount Peel (Cobb), Cobb Valley, Aorere Peak
Habitat
Upper montane to alpine. On cliff faces, rock outcrops and amongst rocks or in fellfield
Detailed description
Prostrate or straggling shrub with stems up to ± 1 m long and 10 mm diameter, branched; branchlets rather slender to stout, up to c. 150 mm long. Leaves numerous, densely imbricate; lamina 10-25 × 2.5-3.0 mm, narrowly linear-spathulate, coriaceous, gradually narrowed to sheath; upper surface rather densely clad in soft white not appressed hairs, midrib concealed by hairs; lower surface similarly clad, but more densely so; apex obtuse to subacute, usually apiculate; margins strongly revolute, but not to midrib. Sheath broad, membranous, hairy. Scape glandular-pubescent, slender, up to ± 150 mm long; bracts numerous, lower leaf-like, lamina 9.0-10.0 mm long expanding into sheath. Capitula 25-30 mm diameter; involucral bracts in two series, narrow-linear, c. 5 mm long, glandular-pubescent, ± clad in floccose hairs Ray-florets many, narrow, clawed, limb c.6 mm long, white; disk-florets 3.8-4.1 mm long, tubular. Achenes subcylindric, 2.0-2.5 mm long, ribs with rather sparse hairs. Pappus-hairs sordid-white, up to 5 mm long
Similar taxa
One of a small group of subshrub Celmisia which includes C. brevifolia, C. gibbsii, C. lateralis, C. ramulosa and C. walkeri. From these species C. rupestris is perhaps most similar to C. gibbsii from which it is distinguished by the upper leaf surface which is densely clad in white hair.
Flowering
October - February
Flower colours
White
Fruiting
November - May
Life cycle
Pappate cypselae are dispersed by wind (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Difficult. Best grown from fresh seed but can be grown from cuttings. Should be planted in a free draining, moist soil. Excellent in a pot in an alpine house, or planted in a south-facing rockery. Dislikes humidity and will not tolerate drying out.
Threats
A naturally uncommon species that does not appear to be actively threatened
Etymology
celmisia: Apparently named after Kelmis, one of Idaean Dactyls, a group of skilled mythical beings associated with the Mother Goddess Rhea in Greek mythology. Kelmis, whose name means ‘casting’, was a blacksmith and childhood friend of Zeus, son of Rhea and later king of the gods. In Ovid’s ‘Metamorphoses’, Kelmis is described as offending Zeus who turned him into adamant so he was as hard as a tempered blade
rupestris: From the Latin rupes ‘rock, cliff’, meaning growing in rocky places
Where To Buy
Occasionally available from specialist native plant nurseries.
Attribution
Description adapted from Allan (1961)
References and further reading
Allan, H.H. 1961: Flora of New Zealand. Vol. I, Government Printer, Wellington.
Thorsen, M. J.; Dickinson, K. J. M.; Seddon, P. J. 2009. Seed dispersal systems in the New Zealand flora. Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 11: 285-309