Brachyglottis laxifolia
Synonyms
Senecio laxifolius Buchanan
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.
BRALAX
Chromosome number
2n = 60
Current conservation status
The conservation 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.
Please note, threat classifications are often suggested by authors when publications fall between NZTCS assessment periods – an interim threat classification status has not been assessed by the NZTCS panel.
- Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2017 . 2018. 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. Department of Conservation. Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2018 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon
Previous conservation statuses
2017 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: DP, RR, St
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Brief description
Small bushy grey-green shrub bearing yellow daisy-like flowers inhabiting the northern South Island, Leaves 2-6 cm long, tapering to a narrow tip and to a long grooved stalk, white underneath. Flowers 2cm wide with yellow radiating petals in loose clusters.
Distribution
Endemic. South Island. North-west Nelson: Mount Arthur, Mount Owen, Motueka Hills, Spenser Range, Discovery Peaks, Fowler’s Pass; Marlborough: Mount Rintoul, St. Arnaud Range, Wairau Gorge.
Habitat
Montane to low alpine, 1100-1600m. Locally common in tussock-scrubland on limestone and marble.
Features
Laxly branched shrub up to 1 m tall. Branchlets tomentose when young. Leaves rather close-set; lamina more or less 20-60 x 10-20 mm, subcoriaceous, elliptic to lanceolate-oblong, acute, narrowed to petiole up to 40 mm long, becoming nearly glabrous above, clad in dense white tomentum below, distantly and obscurely crenate-sinuate to entire, midrib evident. Capitula loosely paniculately arranged on slender bracted branchlets; ultimate branchlets 30-50 mm long. Capitula up to 20 mm diameter; phyllaries linear-oblong, obtuse to subacute, tomentose on back, inner with scarious margins. Ray-florets 10-15, up to approximately 8 mm long, spreading, yellow. Achenes linear-oblong, grooved, sparsely pubescent, approximately 2 mm long; pappus-hairs up to 5 mm long, slender, barbellate.
Similar taxa
Very close to Brachyglottis greyi (Hook.f.) B.Nord. and best distinguished from that species by the small “tails” at the end of sagitate anthers. Ecologically it is a montane to subalpine species and is never found in coastal situations. Plants also, as a rule, have longer broadly lanceolate leaves
Flowering
December - February
Flower colours
Yellow
Fruiting
January - March
Propagation technique
Easy from fresh seed or semi hardwood cuttings. Does best in full sun and benefits from a heavy pruning after flowering. Will hybridise readily with most other Brachyglottis so if pure seed is wanted keep plants well apart
Etymology
brachyglottis: Name comes from the Greek words brachus meaning “short” and glottis meaning “the vocal apparatus of the larynx”
laxifolia: Soft-leaved
Notes on taxonomy
Some botanists consider B. laxifolia is better treated as a subspecies or variety of B. greyi, partly because they are allopatric taxa. However, B. greyi does not have “tails” at the ends of the anthers, and so, until a through revision of the genus is completed it seems wise to retain B. laxifolia at the rank of species.
Attribution
Description adapted by M. Ward from Allan (1961) and Mark (2012).
References and further reading
Allan, H. H. 1961. Flora of New Zealand. Vol. 1. Wellington: Government Printer. pg. 750-751.
Mark, A. F. 2012. Above the Treeline: A Nature Guide to Alpine New Zealand. Craig Potton Publishing, Nelson. pg. 232.