Celmisia durietzii
Common name
Durietz’s mountain 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.
CELDUR
Chromosome number
2n = 108
Current conservation status
The threat classification 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. 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. Please note, threat classifications are often suggested by authors when publications fall between NZTCS assessment periods – a suggested threat classification status has not been assessed by the NZTCS panel.
Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2017 | Not Threatened
Previous conservation statuses
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Distribution
Endemic. South Island: Marlborough south. Stewart island plants included here by Allan (1961) appear to be an allied but as yet undescribed species endemic to that island.
Habitat
Montane to alpine grassland, herbfield, and fellfield. Sometimes rupestral on rock outcrops and tors.
Features
Robust subshrub with stout simple to multicipital stock; branches ± arcuate, clad in persistent imbricate leaf-remnants; living leaves rosulate, spreading, at tips of branchlets. Lamina ± 30-60 × 7-10 mm, narrow-elliptic, elliptic-obovate to subspathulate (often varying on same plant), subcoriaceous; upper surface glabrous, usually with deciduous pellicle when young (in some forms clad in soft white tomentum); lower densely clad in white appressed silky soft hairs, midrib evident; apex obtuse to subacute; margins minutely obscurely denticulate, gradually narrowed to rather slender petiole up to ± 30 mm long. Sheath translucent, glabrous, ± 25 × 5 mm, longitudinal veins prominent. Scape stiff, rather stout, finely ribbed, glabrous or nearly so, ± 200 mm long; lower bracts tomentose below, up to c. 30 mm long (lowest often foliaceous), upper less hairy below, midrib evident. Capitula 30-40 mm diameter; involucral bracts ± reflexed, glandular-pubescent, up to 12 mm long, linear, subcoriaceous, midrib distinct, margins pilose, apical part with tuft of floccose hairs. Ray-florets c.15 mm long, white, tube almost filiform, limb narrow-obovate, c. 3 mm broad. Disk-florets numerous, slender, tubular, only slightly flaring, 6-7 mm long, teeth minute, narrow-triangular. Achenes narrow-cylindric, ± 5-6 mm long, densely clad in fine silky subappressed hairs. Pappus-hairs very slender, white, up to c.7 mm. long, hardly barbellate
Similar taxa
Allied to Celmisia haastii, C. cockayniana, C. lindsayi and C. bonplandii species from which it differs by the leaves which are 30-60 x 70-100 mm, translucent, glabrous sheath (25-40 x 5 mm) and achenes which are evenly covered in silky hairs. Ecologically Celmisia lindsayi is a coastal species, while C. bonplandii prefers wetter habitats. Both C. lindsayi and C. bonplandii have much wider leaves, and seeds which are sparsely hairy. Celmisia cockayniana had longer, wider leaves and is confined to Marlborough, while C. haastii has glabrous seeds, longer and wider leaves, and a yellowish-green sheath. Stewart Island plants treated as C. durietzii by Allan (1961) and those from Fiordland appear to be allied but as yet unnamed species.
Flowering
October - March
Flower colours
White, Yellow
Fruiting
November - May
Propagation technique
Easily grown from fresh seed and hardwood cuttings. Reasonably easy to grow but dislikes humidity and cannot tolerate drying out. Best grown in a rockery or within a pot in an alpine house.
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
Where To Buy
Occasionally available from specialist native plant nurseries.
Attribution
Description adapted from Allan (1961)
References and further reading
Allan, H.H. 1961: Flora of New Zealand. Vol. I, Government Printer, Wellington.