Anaphalioides subrigida
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 - Dicotyledonous composites
Simplified description
An uncommon perennial lowland to montane North Island daisy. The stem is purple-brown about 25 cm long, with numerous narrow leaves attached along the length. Leaves are up to 24 mm long, green to dark-green when not stressed. There are 6-9 flowers under 15 mm in diameter at the end of a flowering stem, they are white with a bulging yellow centre.
Flower colours
White, Yellow
Detailed description
Plant upright or outward depending on angle of substrate. Branched or singular main stem; stems decumbent to erect up to 27 cm in length if flowering, branches 1.5-3.5 mm diameter, branchlets stiff, suberect, brittle. Leaves ascending, 14-24 × 1.7-5 mm, linear-oblanceolate, apiculate, apiculus dark-red to purple; margins entire, usually strongly revolute; upper surface glabrous, lower surface with appressed white tomentum, midrib evident, lateral veins invisible or very obscure. Inflorescence compound, 6-9 capitula per inflorescence, corymbose; branchlets slender, covered in white tomentose, bracteate. Capitula 10-15 mm diameter; receptacle 2.2-3.0 mm in diameter, 0.5-1.3 mm high, cone shaped. Phyllaries/involucral bracts white in two rows, petal-like; outer involucral bracts 4.7-5.7 × 0.6-1.9 mm, clawed; inner involucral bracts 3.8-6.1× 0.5-1.3 mm. Florets female or hermaphrodite, majority female, approximately 2.5-3 mm long; Corolla approximately 2-3 mm long (generally longer on hermaphrodite florets), style approximately 2 mm long; Anthers approximately 1 mm long. Cypsela (0.4-)0.5-0.6(-0.7) × 0.2-0.3 mm, hairs absent (glabrous). Pappus approximately 5-15 hairs (generally more on hermaphrodite florets) 1.2-2.4 mm long.
Similar taxa
Could only be confused with other Anaphalioides species due to the unique flowers, this species’ narrow leaves are also unique, the closest species is Anaphalioides trinervis which differs by having green leaf apiculus compared to purple, and wider, larger leaves 19-76 × 5.4-20mm compared to 14-24 × 1.7-5 mm.
Distribution
Endemic. Te Ika-a-Māui | North Island, Kawhia in the West to Mangatuna in the East, southwards to Aorangi Range, Southern Wairarapa.
Habitat
Lowland – 100-400 m.a.s.l. Favours base type substrates such as limestone, and papa cliffs of soft grey mudstone and sandy mudstone.
Detailed taxonomy
Genus
Family
Synonyms
Anaphalis subrigida (Colenso) C.J.Webb, Gnaphalium subrigidum Colenso, Gnaphalium keriense var. linifolia Hook.f.
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
September - January.
Fruiting
November - March.
Life cycle and dispersal
Pappate cypselae dispersed by wind (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Other information
Etymology
anaphalioides: Resembling the genus Anaphalis, the derivation of which is unclear
subrigida: Somewhat rigid
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.
ANASUB
Chromosome number
2n = 28
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: Sp
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Regional conservation statuses
Wellington: 2025 | Regionally Threatened – Regionally Endangered | Qualifiers: RR
Current regional threat status assessments prepared according to Crisp et al. (2025) are displayed when available. The Wellington conservation status information is sourced from the “Conservation status of indigenous vascular plants in the Wellington region” Enright P 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.
Glenny D. 1997. A revision of the genus Anaphalioides (Asteraceae: Gnaphalieae). New Zealand Journal of Botany, Vol. 35:4, 451-477. DOI: 10.1080/0028825X.1987.10410170
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.
Attribution
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.