Argyrotegium nitidulum
Biostatus
Native
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledonous composites
Detailed description
Stoloniferous perennial with much-branched, densely packed stems terminating in leafy rosettes and usually forming compact cushion or ball-like mats, 20-40 mm tall. Leaves mostly in basal rosettes, imbricating, initially erect then reflexing with age, basally scarious to almost glabrous though usually with a few floccose hairs near junction with stem, upper portion clad in appressed, sericeous, glossy brown tomentum; basal leaves slightly narrowed to broad sheathing petiole, densely sericeous on both surfaces including mid-vein but not petiole, keeled toward apex, lamina narrow-oblong to spathulate, obtuse, 5-12 × 2-4 mm; cauline leaves 1-2, narrow. Capitula solitary, subsessile or sessile c.5-8 mm diameter; subtending leaves < capitula; scape terminal, simple, erect, amongst leaves at flowering, elongating only to just above leaves at fruiting. Involucral bracts scarious, narrowly elliptic-oblong, subacute, 6.9-8.0 mm long; stereome yellow-green; lamina very pale brown, sometimes darker at base; gap and margins clear to mid-brown. Achenes 1.0-1.2 mm long, with scattered appressed hairs, becoming glabrous. Pappus of c.30-36 filiform hairs, c.6.0-6.2 mm. long.
Similar taxa
Both Argyrotegium nitidulum and A. mackayi are mat-forming species with solitary terminal flowers. Argyrotegium nitidulum is distinguished from A. mackayi by the leaf hairs which are more or less straight, antrorse, appressed and glossy rather than tangled and white.
Distribution
Indigenous. South Island, Marlborough and near Arthur’s Pass. Present in Australia.
Habitat
Alpine, favouring open stony ground within tussock grassland, herbfield. Also on scree.
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: RR, TO
Threats
While not actively threatened this is a very uncommon plant in New Zealand. To ensure its long term security it is important that all populations are routinely monitored. Some populations are especially vulnerable to plant collectors and to a lesser extent the spread of weeds.
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Synonyms
Gnaphalium nitidulum Hook.f., Euchiton nitidulus (Hook.f.) Anderb.
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
November - January
Fruiting
December - February
Life cycle and dispersal
Pappate cypselae are dispersed by wind (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Difficult. Should not be removed from the wild.
Other information
Where To Buy
Not commercially available
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.
ARGNIT
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: RR, TO
2012 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: RR, TO
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon
2004 | Range Restricted
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
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
Fact sheet prepared by P.J. de Lange for NZPCN (1 June 2013)
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Argyrotegium nitidulum Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/argyrotegium-nitidulum/ (Date website was queried)