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  4. Aciphylla dobsonii

Aciphylla dobsonii

Ahuriri.<br>Photographer: John Barkla, Date taken: 23/01/2013, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Grampian Range, January.<br>Photographer: John Smith-Dodsworth, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Mt St Bathans, Otago.<br>Photographer: John Barkla, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>.
Mt St Bathans, Otago.<br>Photographer: John Barkla, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>.
Aciphylla dobsonii.<br>Photographer: John Smith-Dodsworth, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Aciphylla dobsonii.<br>Photographer: John Barkla, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Ahuriri.<br>Photographer: John Barkla, Date taken: 01/01/2013, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Ahuriri.<br>Photographer: John Barkla, Date taken: 01/01/2013, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Ahuriri.<br>Photographer: John Barkla, Date taken: 23/01/2013, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
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Common names

Dobson’s speargrass

Biostatus

Native – Endemic taxon

Category

Vascular

Structural class

Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites

Detailed description

Distinctive stocky herb, close-set rosettes up to 150 mm in diameter forming a cushion-like plant up to 1 m across, taproot up to 20 mm diameter, deeply descending. Leaf-sheaths approximately 50 x 15 mm, thick, rigid; margins cartilaginous. Stipules approximately 20 mm long, approximately 3 mm wide at base, tapering to a hard sharp point. Lamina rigid, coriaceous, slightly longer than stipules, with spinose apex approximately 10cm long. Flowering stems stout, grooved, up to approximately 30 cm tall including the subcapitate inflorescence. Primary rays 4-5, short, stout; umbels and umbellules crowded; bract-sheaths up to 40 x 20 mm, with stipules and lamina up to 50 mm long and 9 mm wide at base. Fruit narrow-oblong, up to 3.5 mm long; mericarps 4-5 winged.

Similar taxa

Aciphylla leighii smaller plant than A. dobsonii; leaves are only about 5 cm long, leaf tips are generally more blunt, peduncles are rather slender compared to stout in A. dobsonii.

Distribution

Endemic. South Island, higher greywacke montane to subalpine areas of south Canterbury to north Otago.

Habitat

Confined to fellfield, (1500-2200 m.a.s.l.) especially along exposed ridge crests, where it may be the most conspicuous plant.

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

Jump to previous conservation statuses

Detailed taxonomy

Family

Apiaceae

Authority

Aciphylla dobsonii Hook.f.

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).

Propagation technique

Difficult. Possibly due to the large lengthy taproot and need for scree habitat (Dawson & LeComte).

Other information

Etymology

aciphylla: From the Latin acicula ‘needle’ and the Greek phyllum ‘leaf’, meaning needle-leaf.

dobsonii: Dobson: After Mount Dobson near Lake Tekapo, the type location for this species.

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.

ACIDOB

Chromosome number

2n = 22

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

Jump to current conservation status

Regional conservation statuses

Otago: 2024 | At Risk – Regionally Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: DPS, DPT, NR, NS, RR

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 “Regional conservation status of indigenous vascular plants in Otago” Jarvie S et al. (2024) report.

Referencing and citations

References and further reading

Allan, H. H. 1961. Flora of New Zealand. Vol. 1. Wellington: Government Printer. pg. 469-470.

Dawson, J.W. LeComte, J.R. 1978. Research on Aciphylla - a progress report. Tuatara 23: pg. 49-67.

Mark, A. F. 2012. Above the Treeline: A Nature Guide to Alpine New Zealand. Craig Potton Publishing, Nelson. pg. 150.

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 by M. Ward from 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.

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