Brachyscome humilis
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledonous composites
Flower colours
White
Detailed description
Perennial rosette herb, often forming loose mats. Leaves apetiolate, narrow- spathulate, mostly entire, rarely with 1-2 pairs of shallow teeth near apex, obtuse, glabrous, 5.0-10.0 × 1.0-1.5 mm. Peduncle naked, glabrous except for few glandular hairs below capitulum, 30-45 mm long and 0.3-0.6 mm diameter at flowering, elongating to up to 70 mm at fruiting. Involucral bracts elliptic to narrow-oblong, obtuse and fimbriate to apex, glabrous except for few glandular hairs at base, 2.5-3.0 mm long. Rays 12-22, white, c.3-5 mm long. Disc yellow. Achenes obovoid-oblong, compressed, eglandular, c.1.5 mm long; pappus of bristles c.0.3 mm long
Similar taxa
Perhaps most similar to B. linearis - which is a species of marginal turf communities around lakes Te Anau, Manapouri and the Mavora Lakes. From that species it differs by its ecology (alpine in snow banks and hollows), larger flowers on longer scapes, hairy capitula and achenes, and longer ray florets.
Distribution
Endemic. South Island: Central Otago (Rock and Pillar Range)
Habitat
Alpine. Inhabiting snowbanks and hollows above 1200 m.
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
Threats
Unclear. Probably a Naturally Uncommon species however this species remains very poorly known and until a comprehensive survey is undertaken ascertaining the exact conservation status of this species remains guesswork. It for this reason that it has been listed as Data Deficient. Furthermore, the status of similar plants found on the ultramafics of West Dome and the Livingston Range needs investigation
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Synonyms
None (first described in 1943)
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
December – February
Fruiting
January - April
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
Etymology
brachyscome: From Greek brachys ‘short’ and comus ‘hair’, refers to the lack of papys on the fruit
humilis: Lowest, dwarf, small, slight
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.
BRAHUM
Chromosome number
2n = 36-37, 37
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, Sp
2012 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: Sp
2009 | Data Deficient
2004 | Range Restricted
Regional conservation statuses
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 “Regional conservation status of indigenous vascular plants in Otago” Jarvie S et al. (2024) report.
Otago: 2024 | At Risk – Regionally Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: DPS, DPT, NS, NStr, RE, RR, Sp, St, TL
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
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.
Moore LB, Edgar E. 1970. Flora of New Zealand, Volume II. Indigenous Tracheophyta: Monocotyledones except Gramineae. Government Printer, Wellington, NZ. 354 p.
Attribution
Description modified by Peter de Lange from Moore and Edgar (1970)