Aciphylla cartilaginea
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: DPS, DPT, RR
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Simplified description
Low growing clump forming thick-leaved orange-green spikey herb. A Stewart Island endemic, whose leaves are much divided, and has orange stemmed robust flower spikes.
Detailed description
Low-growing cartilaginous-leaved herb. Rosettes single to several, closely-spaced. Leaves 6-9 cm long; pinnae stiff, usually in 2 pairs, 30-40 × 2.5-3 mm wide, grooved; midrib conspicuous, broad, yellow; margins thick, obvious, yellow; apex pungent. Flowering stems up to 200 mm tall but usually shorter particularly in male plants, appearing thick for size of plant, orange, umbels 5-6, crowded, more spreading in female plants and on obvious rays, in males flower barely exceeding bract sheath; sheaths broad. Fruit consisting of 2 mericarps; mericarps (3.0-)3.5-5.5 mm, mostly with 5 ribs and single internal vittae.
Similar taxa
Closest in similarity to Aciphylla kirkii of Central Otago which does not have such obvious thickened margins to the leaf and whose range does not overlap with A. cartilaginea.
Distribution
Endemic. Rakiura | Stewart Island, Mt Rakeahua and Tin Range south to Smith’s Lookout
Habitat
Montane to low alpine (600 - 900 m.a.s.l.), subalpine boggy grassland and herbfield.
Detailed taxonomy
Genus
Family
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
December - January.
Fruiting
February - March.
Other information
Etymology
aciphylla: From the Latin acicula ‘needle’ and the Greek phyllum ‘leaf’, meaning needle-leaf.
cartilaginea: Like cartilage
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.
ACICAR
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: DP, RR
2012 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: RR
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon
2004 | Range Restricted
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Allan HH. 1961. Flora of New Zealand, Volume I. Indigenous Tracheophyta: Psilopsida, Lycopsida, Filicopsida, Gymnospermae, Dicotyledones. Government Printer, Wellington, NZ. 1085 p.
Webb CJ, Simpson MJA. 2001. Seeds of New Zealand Gymnosperms and Dicotyledons. Manuka Press, Christchurch. 428 p.
Wilson HD. 1996. Wild plants of Mount Cook National Park. Manuka Press, Christchurch.
Wilson HD. 1982. Stewart Island plants. Whitcoulls Ltd, Christchurch
Attribution
Description adapted from Allan (1961), Webb and Simpson (2001), Wilson (1996) and Wilson (1982).
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.