Abrotanella caespitosa
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.
ABRCAE
Chromosome number
2n = 18
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). This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2012 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Authors: By 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.
2012 | Not Threatened
Previous conservation statuses
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Distribution
North and South Islands. Ruahine and Tararua Range, Mount Taranaki in the North; widespread from Kahurangi to Fiordland National parks in the South.
Habitat
Montane to subalpine 900-1800m Often common but inconspicuous in bogs and permanently wet hollows, including snowbanks.
Features
Mat forming herb, up to 1 m or more across. Branching and rooting stems with very small leafy rosettes; stock rather stout; Leaves rosulate, at nodes, (6-) 10-15 × 1-1.5 mm, narrow-linear, obtuse, spreading to recurved, coriaceous, mottled dark green. Peduncles (sunk among the leaves at stem tips when ripening stalks elongate) up to 10 mm long in fruit, with 1-2 short linear bracts or nude. Capitula up to 2-4 mm diameter; phyllaries 6-8, approximately 2 mm long, broad-oblong, obtuse, veins often obscure, margins scarious. Florets 6-8, not strongly dimorphic; achenes approximately 2 mm. long, fusiform to obovoid, glabrous, obscurely ribbed to smooth.
Similar taxa
Sometimes confused with A. fertilis which has longer (20 mm) peduncle when in fruit.
Flowering
October-February
Fruiting
November-March
Life cycle
Cypselae are primarily dispersed by wind (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Etymology
abrotanella: Little Artemisia (known as Abrotanus by ancient herbalists)
caespitosa: From the Latin caespes ‘tuft’ or ‘sod of turf’, meaning growing in tufts or patches
Where To Buy
Not commercially available.
Attribution
Description adapted by M. Ward from Mark (2012) and Allan (1961).
References and further reading
Allan, H. H. 1961. Flora of New Zealand. Vol. 1. Wellington: Government Printer. pg. 693.
Mark, A. F. 2012. Above the Treeline: A Nature Guide to Alpine New Zealand. Craig Potton Publishing, Nelson. pg. 199.
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 2009 Vol. 11 No. 4 pp. 285-309