Caltha novae-zelandiae
Common names
New Zealand marsh marigold, yellow caltha
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Flower colours
Yellow
Detailed description
Glabrous, rhizomatous perennial of alpine flushes, seepages, bogs and stream sides. Plants forming a low turf with scapes 30-50(-180 mm) tall. Rhizomes stout, white, fleshy. Leaves radical, clustered; petiole up to 100 mm long, slender, grooved, expanded to form a membranous sheathing base. Lamina 8-25 × 4-12 mm, dark green (sometimes centrally blotched and/or marked with bronze), ovate-oblong to oblong, base 2-lobed, subcordate, apex deeply emarginate; margins slightly sinuate to entire; lobes upturned and ± appressed to lamina, almost to midsection of lamina. Scape solitary, short, 1-flowered, finally up to 180 mm long. Sepals 5-7, 10.0-30.0 × 1.8-3.0 mm, pale yellow, 3-nerved, linear-subulate, attenuate. Stamens 15-20; carpels 6-12, ovate in outline, 4-5 mm long; style stout, c.2 mm long. Ripe heads 12-18 mm diameter. Seeds 2-5 per follicle, 1.2- 2.0 mm long, glossy red-brown to dark purple brown, ovate to broadly ovate, or elliptic ovate.
Similar taxa
Only reliably distinguished from other, small, alpine Ranunculus when flowering. From Caltha obtusa readily distinguished when flowering by the linear-subulate yellow rather than oblong-obovate white flowers, and vegetatively by the leaf margins which are shallowly sinuate to entire rather than crenate. Both C. obtusa and C. novae-zelandiae are easily distinguished from the uncommon, naturalised marsh marigold (C. palustris) by their much smaller size, turf-forming growth habit, ecology, and features of the foliage and flowers.
Distribution
Endemic. North, South and Stewart Islands from the main axial ranges of the North Island south.
Habitat
Montane to alpine. Mostly in alpine flushes, seepages, around tarns and slow flowing streams. Also found seen in damp areas in open grassland and in similar sites in fellfield and herbfield.
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 | Not Threatened
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Ranunculaceae
Synonyms
Psychrophila novae-zelandiae (Hook.f.) W.A.Weber
Taxonomic notes
New Zealand plants had long been placed in the genus Caltha, they were then referred to Psychrophila, a decision which was over-ruled on the basis of a detailed study by Schuettpelz & Hoot (2004).
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
September - December
Fruiting
December - March
Propagation technique
Difficult. Can be grown in a pot but needs to be kept moist, free of bryophytes and algal growth. Needs plenty of light but resents high temperatures and humidity
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]
OBL: Obligate Wetland
Almost always is a hydrophyte, rarely in uplands (non-wetlands).
Other information
Etymology
caltha: From the Greek kalathos ‘goblet’, refers to the form of the flower
novae-zelandiae: Of New Zealand
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.
CALNOV
Chromosome number
2n = 48
Previous conservation statuses
2017 | Not Threatened
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Schuettpelz, E.; Hoot, S.B. 2004: Phylogeny and biogeography of Caltha (Ranunculaceae) based on chlroroplast and nuclear DNA sequences. American Journal of Botany 91(2): 247-253.
Attribution
Factsheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange (28 March 2012). Description by P.J. de Lange.
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Caltha novae-zelandiae Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/caltha-novae-zelandiae/ (Date website was queried)