Brachyscome linearis
Biostatus
Native
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledonous composites
Flower colours
Green, Yellow
Detailed description
Glabrous annual rosette herb. Leaves apetiolate, linear to very narrowly linear-spathulate, mostly entire, very rarely with 1–2 teeth near apex, obtuse to acute, 10.0–25.0 × 0.5–2.0 mm. Peduncle naked, 10–30 mm long and 0.2–0.5 mm diameter at flowering, elongating to 25–45 mm at fruiting. Involucral bracts ovate to oblong, obtuse and fimbriate at apex, 1–1.5 mm long. Rays c. 8–12, white, 0.5–2.0 mm long. Disc yellowish green. Achenes obovoid-oblong, compressed, eglandular, 1.0–1.5 mm long; pappus usually of few bristles c. 0.1 mm long, sometimes 0 in mature achenes.
Similar taxa
Easily distinguished from all other species of Brachyscome, except B. humilis by the mostly entire linear to narrowly linear-spathulate leaves, and annual growth habit. From B. humilis it differs by its ecology (lake margins vs alpine snow banks), strict annual growth habit, and smaller flowers with much shorter ray florets.
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: South Island (Lake Te Anau, Lake Manapouri, Mavora Lakes).
Habitat
Inhabiting the short turf that develops along lake margins as well as gravelly ground on exposed lake shores. Its habitats are those which are exposed only briefly during summer; being otherwise flooded for most of the year
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.
Please note, threat classifications are often suggested by authors when publications fall between NZTCS assessment periods – these interim threat classification statuses has not been assessed by the NZTCS panel.
- 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 | Threatened – Nationally Critical | Qualifiers: Sp, DPT, RR
Threats
Extreme, narrow-range endemic of marginal turf that is extremely vulnerable to changes in lake water levels. Indications are that, although widespread it is not common at any particular site.
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Asteraceae
Synonyms
Lagenifera linearis Petrie
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
November–January
Fruiting
December–April
Life cycle
Pappate cypselae are dispersed by wind (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Can be grown in a pot that is kept partially submerged in a tub of water. Not an especially attractive or interesting species.
Wetland plant indicator status rating
Information derived from the revised national wetland plant list prepared to assist councils in delineating and monitoring wetlands (Clarkson et al., 2021 Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research Contract Report LC3975 for Hawke’s Bay Regional Council). The national plant list categorises plants by the extent to which they are found in wetlands and not ‘drylands’. The indicator status ratings are OBL (obligate wetland), FACW (facultative wetland), FAC (facultative), FACU (facultative upland), and UPL (obligate upland). If you have suggestions for the Wetland Indicator Status Rating, please contact: [Enable JavaScript to view protected content]
FACW: Facultative Wetland
Usually is a hydrophyte but occasionally found in uplands (non-wetlands).
Other information
Etymology
brachyscome: From Greek brachys ‘short’ and comus ‘hair’, refers to the lack of papys on the fruit
linearis: Linear (leaves)
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.
BRALIN
Chromosome number
2n = 18
Previous conservation statuses
2017 | Threatened – Nationally Critical | Qualifiers: CD, DP, RR, Sp
2012 | Threatened – Nationally Critical | Qualifiers: RR, Sp, St
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: DP
2004 | Range Restricted
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.
Webb CJ, Sykes WR, Garnock-Jones PJ. 1988. Flora of New Zealand, Volume IV. Naturalised Pteridophytes, Gymnosperms, Dicotyledons. Botany Division, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Christchurch, NZ. 1365 p.
Attribution
Description from Webb et al. (1988)
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.
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Brachyscome linearis Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/brachyscome-linearis/ (Date website was queried)