Aciphylla crenulata
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Simplified description
Herb with sparse spiky leaves which have a thickened notched margin. Inconspicuous unless flowering
Detailed description
Slender herb forming lax tufts to 60 cm tall in flower. Rosettes single or several. Leaves few, flexible, rather flaccid, 1-pinnate, to 15 cm long x 5 mm wide; sheath broad, thin; stipules slender, spinulose; primary pinnae in (1-)2-3(-4) pairs, laminae of pinna widely spaced, linear, 5-15 cm long x 2-5 mm wide, midrib often bright red, margins thickened and finely crenulate, tapering to pungent point. Male flowering stem slender, inflorescence elongate, dense-flowered, 10-30(-40) cm long; bracts many, spreading; bract sheathsshort, mebranous; bract stipules short, pungent; bract lamina slender, to 4 cm long. Umbels and umbellules on long slender rays. Female flowering stem denser, forming an inflorescence to 60 cm long; lower bracts often empty; peduncles and rays long, slender. Fruit of two mericarps; mericarps narrowly oblong-elliptic to elliptic, (6.0-)6.5-9.0 mm, with 3-4 even narrowly winged ribs, other ribs not evident, vittae evident as narrow dark ribs between wings
Similar taxa
Most similar in appearance to A. lyallii which is larger and whose leaves are variably either simple or with up to 7 leaflets or A. indurata which is only known from NW Nelson and which is also a larger plant and with 2-pinnate leaves
Distribution
Endemic. South Island, close to and west of Main divide
Habitat
Higher rainfall snow tussock-herbfield. 900 - 1700 m a.s.l.
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.
Please note, threat classifications are often suggested by authors when publications fall between NZTCS assessment periods – these interim threat classification statuses has not been assessed by the NZTCS panel.
- 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
Family
Apiaceae
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
December-January
Fruiting
February-March
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.
crenulata: From the Latin crenus ‘notch’, meaning with notches which give a leaf margin the appearance of having small rounded teeth
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.
ACICRE
Chromosome number
2n = 22
Previous conservation statuses
2017 | Not Threatened | Qualifiers: DP
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Allan, H.H. 1961. Flora of New Zealand. Government Printer, Wellington
Mark, A.F; Adams, N.M. 1995. New Zealand alpine plants, 2nd Edition. Godwit Publishing, Auckland
Wilson, H.D. 1996. Wild plants of Mt Cook National Park. 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
Webb, C.J. & Simpson, M.J.A. 2001. Seeds of NZ gymnosperms and dicotyledons. Manuka Press, Christchurch
Attribution
Description adapted from Allan (1961), Mark and Adams (1995), Webb and Simpson (2001) and Wilson (1996).
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.