Brachyglottis bidwillii
Synonyms
Senecio bidwillii Hook.f., Senecio bidwillii Hook.f. var. bidwillii, Senecio viridis Kirk nom. illegit., Senecio bidwillii var. viridis (Kirk) Cheeseman
Family
Asteraceae
Flora category
Vascular – Native
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Dicotyledons
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.
BRABID
Chromosome number
2n = 60
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 | Not Threatened
Previous conservation statuses
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Brief description
Leathery shrub forming extensive groves in subalpine areas. Leaves thick leathery, oval, dark green and with whiteish-tan down underneath. Flowers small, clustered at tips of branches, quickly becoming dry and papery. Old flower heads remain until next flowering season.
Distribution
Endemic. North and South Islands - from Mount Hikurangi south
Habitat
Montane to subalpine scrub and fellfield
Features
Compactly branched shrub up to 1.5 m. tall. Branches stout (slender in South Island); branchlets, petioles and inflorescence-branchlets clad in dense appressed soft white to buff tomentum. Leaves elliptic to obovate-oblong, very coriaceous, 2-7.5 × 1-2.5 cm., on stout petioles falling to leave prominent leaf-bases, glabrous and shining above, clad in dense appressed soft tomentum below, midrib and veins not prominent below. Panicles subcorymbose, up to 5 cm. diameter; capitula discoid, campanulate, up to 1.5 cm. diameter; phyllaries narrow-oblong, coriaceous, subacute, tomentose on back. Pistillate flowers 3-5; disk-florets numerous, deeply 5-lobed. Achenes linear-oblong, 3 mm. long, ribbed, glabrous; pappus-hairs stiff, white, up to 5 mm. long, barbellate.
Flowering
December - March
Fruiting
February – April
Life cycle
Pappate achenes are dispersed by wind (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Etymology
brachyglottis: Name comes from the Greek words brachus meaning “short” and glottis meaning “the vocal apparatus of the larynx”
bidwillii: Named after the botanist - John Carne Bidwill (born 1815 and died 16 March 1853)
TAXONOMIC NOTES
The South Island specimens formally known as Brachyglottis bidwillii var. viridis are generally larger in leaf size and stature than the North Island populations.
Attribution
Description adapted by M. Ward from Allan (1961).