Aciphylla anomala
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Simplified description
Inconspicuous sparse rosettes of long spikey leaves without stipules and with variable numbers of leaflets per leaf and with a sparsely leaved tall flower spike
Detailed description
Slender tufted herb to 45 cm tall when in flower. Rosettes single or few. Leaves few, rather flaccid, 3-2 foliate or occ. reduced to a single leaflet (all forms may be present on a single plant). Sheath thin, pale, c. 80 mm long x 10 mm wide, tapering to apex; stipules absent or vestigial; petioles c. 7-8 cm long x 2 mm wide, keeled in lower part, flat in upper; internodes absent; primary pinnae 1 pair, approximate to terminal leaflet, flat, striate, margins finely serrulate-crenulate, c. 8 cm long x 2mm wide, abrubtly narrowing to pungent point; terminal leaflet to 10 cm long x 3 mm wide, sometimes with 1 short accessory pinnule. Flowering stem of male plants slender, ribbed, lower bracts sometimes without flowers; bract sheaths c. 3 cm long, thin, pale, tapering to a pair of narrow-linear, pungent, unequal stipules up to 5 mm long; bract lamina up to 7 cm long x 1 mm wide, pungent; umbels rather distant, on slender rays up to 2 cm long; umbellules several, c. 3 mm in diam., on filiform rays c. 2 mm long; flowers minute. Flowering stem of female plants similar but stouter, up to 10 mm diam.; bract sheaths firmer, furrowed, broader; stipules often reduced to one; bract lamina up to 10 cm long x 4 mm wide, midrib more evident, pungent; umbels more or less hidden by bracts, on short peduncles; umbellules few on short slender rays; fruit of two mericarps; mericarps (5.5-)6.0-8.5(-9.0), with 3-5 narrowly winged ribs, vittae sometimes obscured
Similar taxa
Most similar to A. polita which has a more congested inflorescence
Distribution
Endemic. NW Nelson
Habitat
Snow tussock herbfield 1400-1700 m
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 | Qualifiers: DPS, DPT
Detailed taxonomy
Genus
Family
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Life cycle and dispersal
Winged schizocarps are dispersed primarily by wind (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Other information
Etymology
aciphylla: From the Latin acicula ‘needle’ and the Greek phyllum ‘leaf’, meaning needle-leaf.
anomala: From the Greek anomalia ‘unusual’
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.
ACIANO
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 | Qualifiers: DP
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Alla, H. H. (1961).Flora of New Zealand, Volume 1: Indigenous Tracheophyta - Psilopsida, Lycopsida, Filicopsida, Gymnospermae, Dicotyledons. Botany Division, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. Wellington, New Zealand.
Mark, A.F; Adams, N.M. 1995. New Zealand alpine plants, 2nd Edition. Godwit Publishing, Auckland
Webb, C.J. & Simpson, M.J.A. 2001. Seeds of NZ gymnosperms and dicotyledons. Manuka Press, Christchurch
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
Attribution
Description adapted from Allan (1961), Mark and Adams (1995) and Webb and Simpson (2001).
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.