Celmisia angustifolia
Common name
strap-leaved daisy
Synonyms
None
Family
Asteraceae
Flora category
Vascular – Native
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledonous composites
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.
CELANG
Chromosome number
2n = 108
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). 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.
2012 | Not Threatened
Previous conservation statuses
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Distribution
Endemic. South Island: Easterly from south Marlborough to Otago
Habitat
Montane to alpine in grassland, fell field and at the base of stable talus and scree slopes
Features
Small subshrub with woody, often multicipital, stock; branches close-set, clad in persistent, imbricate leaf-remnants; living leaves rosulate at tips of branchlets. Lamina coriaceous, not or only slightly viscid, 25-50 × 2-6 mm, linear to linear-spathulate; upper surface clad in thin ± deciduous pellicle; lower in appressed somewhat soft to satiny white tomentum; midrib pale, usually evident; apex obtuse to subacute; margins entire or minutely denticulate. Base suddenly expanded into sheath ± 15 × 5-6 mm, glabrous, transculent, longitudinal veins fine. Scape slender, viscid, up to c. 150 mm long; bracts linear-subulate, remote, lower with lamina c.20 mm long. Capitula 20-40 mm diameter. Involucral bracts c.10 mm. long, linear-lanceolate, indurated towards base and pale brown, with very prominent midrib; upper half thin, floccose on margins and ± viscid. Ray-florets c.16 mm long, white, linear, ± glandular, limb much recurved when dry, apex 3-4-toothed. Disk-florets c.6 mm long, very narrow-funnelform, teeth c.1 mm long, ovate-triangular. Achenes c.3 mm long, cylindric, ribs densely clad in rather long ascending silky hairs. Pappus-hairs up to c.5 mm long, white, slender, very finely barbellate.
Similar taxa
Allied to Celmisia viscosa from which it differs by the scarcely ribbed, smaller leaves (25-50 × 2-6 mm cf. 60-150 × 6-9 mm) which are not or only slightly viscid.
Flowering
October - January
Flower colours
White, Yellow
Fruiting
November - April
Life cycle
Pappate cypselae are dispersed by wind (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Unknown. Probably best grown from fresh seed and like many Celmisia this species will probably dislike high humidity and drying out
Etymology
celmisia: Apparently named after Kelmis, one of Idaean Dactyls, a group of skilled mythical beings associated with the Mother Goddess Rhea in Greek mythology. Kelmis, whose name means ‘casting’, was a blacksmith and childhood friend of Zeus, son of Rhea and later king of the gods. In Ovid’s ‘Metamorphoses’, Kelmis is described as offending Zeus who turned him into adamant so he was as hard as a tempered blade
angustifolia: From the Latin angustus ‘narrow, constricted’ and folius ‘leaf’, meaning narrow-leaved
Where To Buy
Not commercially available.
Attribution
Description adapted from: Allan, H.H. 1961: Flora of New Zealand. Vol. I, Government Printer, Wellington.
References and further reading
Thorsen, M. J.; Dickinson, K. J. M.; Seddon, P. J. 2009. Seed dispersal systems in the New Zealand flora. Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 2009 Vol. 11 No. 4 pp. 285-309