Aciphylla simplex
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: Sp, DPS, DPT, RR
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Simplified description
A sprawling prickly cushion forming herb up to 0.6 metres across. Leaves are sharp-pointed and bronze coloured, spikes of whiteish flowers protrude on elongated stems up to 100mm long.
Flower colours
Cream, Yellow
Detailed description
Rootstock usually multicipital, each branch bearing a dense rosette of leaves, the whole plant forming cushion-like masses up to 0.6 metre diameter and 100 mm tall. Leaves simple, sessile on submembranous sheaths up to more or less 40 × 10 mm. Lamina straight or curved, exstipulate, concavo-convex, 30–100 mm long, tapering to blunt but mucronulate apex, hard, rigid. with thickened margins. Stems stout, grooved, up to approximately 100 × 5 mm; Inflorescence a more or less globose panicle, with oblong-lanceolate, acute bracts up to 25 mm long. Umbels few, densely flowered, forming an inflorescence up to 50 mm diameter, on peduncles 10–25 mm. long. Secondary umbels globose, up to approximately 15 mm diameter; rays very slender, short. Secondary umbels of female plants up to approximately 30 mm diameter. Mericarps 2.7-4.0(-4.5) mm long, broadly-elliptic to ovate elliptic, ribs 5 evenly winged, lacking vittae.
Similar taxa
Similar to Aciphylla dobsonii, which can be differentiated by its leaf structure having stipules because its leaves are compound, compared to simple in A. simplex.
Distribution
Endemic. Te Waipounamu | South Island, exclusively Central Otago/Northen Southland, Mt Pisa, Mt Cardrona in the North, Old Man Range in the East, Eyre Mountains in the South-West.
Habitat
High-alpine (1500 – 2000 m.a.s.l.), confined to fellfield and ledges of rocky bluffs.
Threats
This species is threatened due to its limited range and generally being biologically sparse. When a plant has such a limited range anything such as a landslide may have an overwhelming impact on its existence in that particular area, and therefore the overall population.
Detailed taxonomy
Genus
Family
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
November - January.
Fruiting
December – 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.
simplex: Simple, not compound
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.
ACISMP
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 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: DP, RR, Sp
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Regional conservation statuses
Otago: 2025 | Regionally At Risk – Regionally Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: DPS, DPT, NR, NS, NStr, RR, Sp, St, TL
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 “Conservation Status of Indigenous Vascular Plants in Otago, 2025” Jarvie S et al. (2025) report.
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.
Mark AF. 2012. Above the Treeline: A Nature Guide to Alpine New Zealand. Craig Potton Publishing, Nelson. pg.150.
Thorsen MJ, Dickinson KJM, Seddon PJ. 2009. Seed dispersal systems in the New Zealand flora. Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 11: 285–309. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ppees.2009.06.001.
Webb CJ & Simpson MJA. 2001. Seeds of NZ gymnosperms and dicotyledons. Manuka Press, Christchurch.
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by MD Ward (December 17th 2025). Description adapted from Allan (1961) & Mark (2012).
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.