Acaena minor var. minor
Common names
bidibid
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 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: RR, SO
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Simplified description
An evergreen hairy silvery-green herb, which spreads up to a 1 metre across and about 15 cm in height. The pinnate leaves are delicate and toothed with hairy tips and may be folded upwards lengthways. The globe shaped flower balls are white 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. Only found on Sub-Antarctic Islands.
Flower colours
White, Red/Pink
Detailed description
Stoloniferous, prostrate, trailing perennial herb, primary stems 2-3.5 mm diameter, forming a loose mat up to 1 metre in diameter. Stems 1-2 mm diameter, hairy, up to 5 cm long, and/or 5-15 cm high, rooting at nodes; Stipules entire to trifid, densely hairy. Leaves odd-pinnate, less than 20 mm long with 7-15 leaflets; Leaflets folded length wise, longer than wide with apex half slightly wider, bright green on both surfaces, serrated toothed margin, 8-13 teeth are hair-tipped, upper surface hairless, lower surface sparsely hairy along primary and secondary veins. Inflorescence scape 15-20 mm, densely silky-hair covered; Capitulum 9-14 mm diameter of 40-50 florets, each floret has 4 sepals, 2 stamen, dark red anthers, 1 white style, 1 achene; Fruit roughly cone-shaped, each having 4 barb-tipped red or yellow spines, 6-12 mm long, which mature dry, pale brown when ripe, enabling attachment to passing hairy/feathered surfaces as vector, and/or to aid wind dispersal.
Similar taxa
Easily confused with Acaena minor var. antarctica, which is generally a larger plant in all components apart from the size of the capitulum which is 7-9 mm compared to 9-14 mm in A. minor var. minor.
Distribution
Endemic. Auckland Island and Campbell Island/Motu Ihupuku.
Habitat
Montane (approximately 500 m.a.s.l.), high altitude meadows.
Detailed taxonomy
Genus
Family
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
November–January
Fruiting
January-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)
Other information
Where To Buy
Not commercially available
Etymology
acaena: From the Greek ‘akanthos’ thorn, referring to the spiny calyx that many species have
minor: Smaller
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.
ACAMVM
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 – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: RR, SO
2012 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: RR, SO
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: IE
2004 | Range Restricted
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. 363.
Lloyd K. 2001. A Key and notes for Acaena (Rosaceae) in New Zealand. Botanical Society of Otago Newsletter 25. Pgs. 10-14.
Meurk CD. 1975. Contributions to the flora and plant ecology of Campbell Island. New Zealand journal of botany, 13(4), 721-742. https://doi.org/10.1080/0028825X.1975.10430355
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.
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by MD Ward (November 18th 2025). Description adapted from Lloyd (2001), Meurk (1975), 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.