Acaena pallida
Common names
sand piripiri, sand bidibid
Biostatus
Native
Current conservation status
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2022-2023 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website. This report includes replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Previous assessments can be found here.
- Conservation status of vascular plants in Aotearoa New Zealand, 2023. 2024. Peter J. de Lange, Jane Gosden, Shannel P. Courtney, Alexander J. Fergus, John W. Barkla, Sarah M. Beadel, Paul D. Champion, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Troy Makan and Pascale Michel Department of Conservation. Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2023 | At Risk – Declining | Qualifiers: DPS, DPT, RR, SO
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Simplified description
An evergreen shiny bright green herb, sand dune inhabitant, which spreads up to 2 metres across and about 15cm in height. The pinnate leaves are bluntly toothed and lack hairs on upper surface. The globe shaped flower balls are white, then grow into a cluster of red hooked spikes, which when ripe brown off, become firm and may stick to your socks or laces when brushed past in order to disperse.
Flower colours
White
Detailed description
Stoloniferous, prostrate, trailing perennial herb, forming a loose mat up to 2 metres in diameter. Stems up to 3 mm diameter, hairy, up to 1 metre long, and/or 15 cm high, rooting at nodes; Stipules entire to quadrifid; Leaves odd-pinnate, between 45-120 mm long with 9-15 leaflets; Leaflets oblong to elliptical 6-30 × 3-13 mm, serrated shallow toothed margin, 8-20 teeth not hair-tipped, terminal leaflet 12-20 mm long, lower leaflets are smaller, upper surface shiny slightly channelled glabrous bright green to dark green veins obvious, lower surface pale green hairy mostly toward mid vein; Inflorescence scape 70-180 mm, very hairy; Capitulum about 10mm diameter, composed of 80-100 florets, each floret has 4 sepals, 2 stamen, white anthers, 1 style, 1 achene; Fruit roughly cone-shaped, each having 4 red barb-tipped spines, up to 10-20 mm long, which mature dry, pale brown or golden brown when ripe, enabling attachment to passing hairy/feathered surfaces as vector, and/or to aid wind dispersal, tiny spines often occur in between foremost spines.
Similar taxa
A quite unique species in being a dune specialist and having uniquely shiny foliage. Acaena novae-zelandiae may be found in dunes too and can be shiny especially new growth, it also has red spikes on unripe fruit. It differs by generally having smaller leaflets 4-17 × 2-10 mm (compared to 6-30 × 3-13 mm), and generally red rachis which are not as hairy as those of A. pallida. The leaflets are hair-tipped which is not seen in A. pallida. A. novae-zelandiae grows in a wider range of habitats than A. pallida and is therefore more common, and more often recorded/seen.
Distribution
Indigenous. New Zealand: Te Ika-a-Māui | North Island (southern), Te Waipounamu | South Island, Rakiura | Stewart Island, Rēkohu | Wharekauri | Chatham Island. Also S.E. Australia and Tasmania.
Habitat
Coastal fine gravels, sand dunes only.
Threats
Coastal development and general use by humans, herbivores, and stock, causing damage through trampling.
Detailed taxonomy
Genus
Family
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
October-January.
Fruiting
October-May.
Life cycle and dispersal
Spiny hypanthia are dispersed by attaching to fur, feathers and clothing and possibly also dispersed by wind and granivory (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Other information
Cultivation
Occasionally found in specialist nurseries. Easy to grow from fresh seed.
Etymology
acaena: From the Greek ‘akanthos’ thorn, referring to the spiny calyx that many species have
pallida: From the Latin pallidus ‘pale or pallid’
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.
ACAPAL
Chromosome number
2n = 42
Previous conservation statuses
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2022-2023 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website. This report includes replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Previous assessments can be found here.
- Conservation status of vascular plants in Aotearoa New Zealand, 2023. 2024. Peter J. de Lange, Jane Gosden, Shannel P. Courtney, Alexander J. Fergus, John W. Barkla, Sarah M. Beadel, Paul D. Champion, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Troy Makan and Pascale Michel Department of Conservation. Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2017 | At Risk – Declining | Qualifiers: DP, RR, SO
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Regional conservation statuses
Otago: 2025 | Regionally Threatened – Regionally Endangered | Qualifiers: CI, NStr, PF, RR, St
The regional threat classification system leverages off the national assessments in the NZTCS, providing information relevant for the regional context. Otago conservation status information is sourced from the “Conservation Status of Indigenous Vascular Plants in Otago, 2025” Jarvie S et al. (2025) report.
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Allan HH. 1961. Flora of New Zealand. Volume 1. Indigenous Tracheophyta: Psilopsida, Lycopsida, Filicopsida, Gymnospermae, Dicotyledons. Government Printer, Wellington, NZ. pg.360.
Lloyd K. 2001. A Key and notes for Acaena (Rosaceae) in New Zealand. Botanical Society of Otago Newsletter 25. Pgs. 10-14.
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. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ppees.2009.06.001.
Webb CJ, Sykes WR, Garnock-Jones PJ. 1988. Flora of New Zealand, Volume IV. Naturalised Pteridophytes, Gymnosperms, Dicotyledons. Botany Division, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Christchurch, NZ. Pg. 1063.
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by MD Ward (August 29th 2025). Description adapted from Lloyd (2001), Webb et. al. (1988), Allan (1961).
Some of this factsheet information is derived from Flora of New Zealand Online and is used under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 New Zealand licence.