Acaena fissistipula
Common names
bidibid, piripiri
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
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 | Not Threatened
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Simplified description
An evergreen hairy silvery-blue herb, which spreads up to a 1 metre across and up to 5 cm in height. The pinnate leaves are delicate and toothed, and may have a pinkish, contrasting coloured margin. The globe shaped flower balls are red and grow into a cluster of 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
Green, Red/Pink
Detailed description
Stoloniferous, prostrate, trailing perennial herb, forming a loose mat up to 1 metre in diameter. Stems less than 1-1.5 mm diameter, hairy, up to 30 cm long, and/or 5 cm high, rooting at nodes; Stipules trifid, quadrifid or pentafid, deeply incised; Leaves odd-pinnate, between 25-150 mm long with 7-9(-11) leaflets; Leaflets orbicular, serrated toothed margin, teeth rounded, 9-13 hair-tipped teeth per leaflet, lower leaflets smaller, distinctly dull grey-green on upper surface often with brown to light-brown coloured teeth more or less glabrous veins may be obvious, lower surface sparsely hairy; Inflorescence scape 120-200 mm, brownish stem almost glabrous; Capitulum of 50-60 florets, each floret has 4 sepals, 2 stamen, red anthers, 1 white or rose coloured style, 1 achene; Fruit roughly cone-shaped, each having 4 barb-tipped spines, up to 4mm long, mature dry, pale brown when ripe, enabling attachment to passing hairy/feathered surfaces as vector.
Similar taxa
Acaena caesiiglauca, another colourful species more blue-green than grey-green, stipules are perfect or bifid rather than 3-5-fid; leaflet teeth are sharply pointed rather than rounded; flower stems are hairy compared to almost hairless; anthers are white rather than red.
Acaena dumicola, is very similar in appearance at first glance. The differences between the two species are that the 3 distal leaflets of this species are orbicular then those below being dramatically reduced in size and shape reduce, compared to A. fissistipula which reduce evenly from distal to proximal; , compared to the; the anthers of A. dumicola are white compared to red/maroon in A. fissistipula. The scape is up to 10 cm in A. dumicola compared to up to 12-20 cm in A. fissistipula.
Acaena inermis, glaucous or dull purple-brown in colour, rhizomatous rather than stoloniferous; stipules entire only; up to 15 leaflets; lack hairy tip; scape up to 75 mm, rather than up to 200 mm; only 20 florets at most per capitulum; fruit spikes red, lacking barbs or hairs.
Acaena tesca, also glaucous in colour, rhizomatous rather than stoloniferous; capitulum lacking scape, rather than up to 200mm; spines of fruit up to 20 mm long rather than up to 4 mm, and red; confined to central Otago.
Distribution
Endemic. South Island, widespread.
Habitat
Montane to low alpine, (300-1500 m.a.s.l.), moist open sites herbfield and tussock grasslands.
Detailed taxonomy
Genus
Family
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
November-March
Fruiting
December-March
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).
Wetland plant indicator status rating
Information derived from the revised national wetland plant list prepared to assist councils in delineating and monitoring wetlands (Clarkson et al., 2021 Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research Contract Report LC3975 for Hawke’s Bay Regional Council). The national plant list categorises plants by the extent to which they are found in wetlands and not ‘drylands’. The indicator status ratings are OBL (obligate wetland), FACW (facultative wetland), FAC (facultative), FACU (facultative upland), and UPL (obligate upland). If you have suggestions for the Wetland Indicator Status Rating, please contact: [Enable JavaScript to view protected content]
FAC: Facultative
Commonly occurs as either a hydrophyte or non-hydrophyte (non-wetlands).
Other information
Etymology
acaena: From the Greek ‘akanthos’ thorn, referring to the spiny calyx that many species have
fissistipula: From the Latin fissus ‘split’ and stipula ‘stipule’
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.
ACAFIS
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 | Not Threatened
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Regional conservation statuses
Otago: 2025 | Regionally Not Threatened | Qualifiers: TL
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.358-359.
Lloyd K. 2001. A Key and notes for Acaena (Rosaceae) in New Zealand. Botanical Society of Otago Newsletter 25. Pgs.10-14.
Mark AF. 2012. Above the Treeline: A Nature Guide to Alpine New Zealand. Craig Potton Publishing, Nelson. pg.113.
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.
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by MD Ward (August 29th 2025). Description adapted from Mark (2012), Lloyd (2001), 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.