Aciphylla leighii
Family
Apiaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Native
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
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.
ACILEI
Current conservation status
The threat classification status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2017 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2012 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Authors: By Peter J. de Lange, Jeremy R. Rolfe, John W. Barkla, Shannel P. Courtney, Paul D. Champion, Leon R. Perrie, Sarah M. Beadel, Kerry A. Ford, Ilse Breitwieser, Ines Schönberger, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Peter B. Heenan and Kate Ladley. Please note, threat classifications are often suggested by authors when publications fall between NZTCS assessment periods – a suggested threat classification status has not been assessed by the NZTCS panel.
Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2017 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: RR, St
Previous conservation statuses
2012 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: RR
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon
2004 | Range Restricted
Distribution
Endemic. South Island, Fiordland, Darran Mountains.
Habitat
Confined to fellfield (1800-2000 m.a.s.l.).
Features
Distinctive stocky herb, close-set rosettes up to 70 mm in diameter forming a cushion-like plant up to 1 m across, taproot stout, deeply descending. Leaves approximately 5 cm long, spreading, 3-foliolate (including the diverging stipules); sheaths approximately 35 mm long, white with hyaline margins, thickening above and curving outwards, striate, narrowing upwards to 6 mm from base 10 mm wide, milky juice copious. Lamina about 16 mm x 4 mm, linear-oblong, dark green, shallowly canaliculate; margins cartilaginous, apex blunt to retuse (but with short mucro). Male plants with striate flowering stems up to about 5 cm long, surrounded by paniculately arranged compound umbels forming an inflorescence approximately 40-60 mm diameter. Primary rays 3-4, rather stout, unequal, up to approximately 40 mm long, invested by general involucre of leaf-like bracts about 20 mm long. Secondary umbels up to 20-25 mm diameter, with narrow-linear acicular bracteoles approximately 10 mm long (occasionally with trifoliolate lamina); rays 7-10, up to approximately 6 mm long. Tertiary umbels crowded, 5-6 mm long; bracteoles filiform. Sepals greenish, incurved, linear, acute, enlarging after petal-fall to 2 mm long, with short claw. Stamens exserted at anthesis; petals minute, white. Female plants not described in detail.
Similar taxa
Aciphylla dobsonii larger plant than A. leighii; leaves are longer at about 10 cm long, leaf tips are hard and very sharp, peduncles are very stout compared to rather slender in A. leighii.
Flowering
December - January
Fruiting
February - March
Life cycle
Winged schizocarps are dispersed primarily by wind (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Etymology
aciphylla: From the Latin acicula ‘needle’ and the Greek phyllum ‘leaf’, meaning needle-leaf.
TAXONOMIC NOTES
Rogers et. al., suggest this species may hybridise with Aciphylla congesta, as a possible explanation for the variation in leaf apices.
Attribution
Description adapted by M. Ward from Allan (1961).
References and further reading
Allan, H. H. 1961. Flora of New Zealand. Vol. 1. Wellington: Government Printer. pg. 469-470.
Lyttle, D. 2021 Personal Communication 14th December, Flowering times, Specimen collected used for Nancy Adams painting, circa 1969.
Mark, A. F. 2012. Above the Treeline: A Nature Guide to Alpine New Zealand. Craig Potton Publishing, Nelson. pg. 150.
Rogers, G., Torr, S., Coats, G., Rance, B., 1999. Aciphylla leighii - A Nival Zone Speargrass from the Darran Mountains, Fiordland. New Zealand Botanical Society Journal No 57. September 1999. Pg. 12-15.
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