Celmisia graminifolia
Biostatus
Native
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledonous composites
Flower colours
White, Yellow
Detailed description
Tufted herb with simple or sparingly branched stock, pseudo-stem up to ± 60 mm long. Lamina subcoriaceous, acute, often with fine apiculus, 60-250 × 10-15 mm, narrowly to broadly oblong-lanceolate to almost linear-oblong (diverse forms may occur on same plant); upper surface ± glabrous, dark green to yellow-green, with a distinct thin, persistent pellicle, midrib broad, grooved, main veins prominent; lower clad in soft white appressed or subappressed tomentum, midrib prominent; margins distantly finely denticulate, narrowing to petiole up to c. 30 mm long; sheath 40-50 × 15 mm, dark green, sometimes tinged purple, veins evident, surface tomentum ± as in lamina, margins floccose. Scape 150-300 mm long, rather slender, often flexuous, ± flattened, floccose. Bracts usually few, up to 10 mm long, lamina almost filiform. Capitula 30-50 mm diameter; involucral bracts, green to pale green, linear-subulate to narrow-lanceolate, c.12 mm long, margins ciliolate, midrib evident. Ray-florets numerous, up to 30 mm. long, tube slender; limb gradually widened to 4-toothed apex, veins distinct. Disk-florets 6.0-6.5 mm long, narrow-funnelform, teeth narrow-triangular. Achenes glabrous, strongly ribbed, narrowly compressed-cylindric to very narrowly obovoid, c.3.0-3.8 mm. long. Pappus-hairs sordid-white, up to 5 mm long, slender, finely barbellate.
Similar taxa
Celmisia graminifolia is closely allied to C. adamsii. Indeed it has even been described as a variety of that species (var. rugulosa Cheeseman). Using those names authors have stressed that the key difference is that C. graminifolia (as C. adamsii var. rugulosa) has shorter and stouter foliage but these distinctions seem very arbitrary. The only real difference between these species seems appears to be that C. graminifolia has generally narrower leaves and a more markedly silvery, persistent upper leaf pellicle than C. adamsii. Further, morphologically Celmisia graminifolia grades into C. major var. major which appears to be a linking form between the northerly C. graminifolia and the more southerly C. adamsii. A thorough, modern taxonomic investigation into the status of all these species and varieties is required.
Distribution
Endemic. North Island: Mt Manaia, Bream Head and other nearby high points
Habitat
In coastal forest where it mostly grows on steep-sided, shaded or exposed, sparsely vegetated slopes, rock outcrops, cliff faces and rock tors. Also recorded from rough pasture and reverting shrubland.
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 | Data Deficient | Qualifiers: RR
Threats
A naturally uncommon, narrow range endemic that is abundant within its few known locations. Some populations have been damaged by tracking and illegal plant collection but most are inaccessible to the general public and one of the most vulnerable has been secure from these threats by a change in track systems to protect waahi tapu.
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Asteraceae
Synonyms
Celmisia adamsii var. rugulosa Cheeseman
Taxonomic notes
Celmisia graminifolia is a much confused name (de Lange 1994; de Lange & Rolfe 2010). The species was described by Joseph Hooker (Hooker 1844) from a type purportedly collected by Andrew Sinclair from the Bay of Islands. However, examination of the type material in Kew and AK, and correspondence between William Colenso and Joseph Hooker (St George 2009) make it quite clear that: 1. Colenso collected the type from the Whangarei Hills, and 2. He gave it to Andrew Sinclair to pass on to Hooker. Joseph Hooker evidently made a mistake as to collector and locations but even when Colenso drew this fact to his attention he did not revise his statements in his subsequent treatments of the New Zealand Flora. Much later, Thomas Cheeseman (Cheeseman 1906) described Celmisia graminifolia again, as Celmisia adamsii var. rugulosa, seemingly unaware that his new variety was already described as a species. Subsequent taxonomic treatments of Celmisia graminifolia are confused (e.g., Allan 1961) and have tended to treat any, grassy, somewhat flat-leaved, often South Island Celmisia as this species. Clearly further study is needed, especially of those Central North Island and South Island Celmisia which have been erroneously placed within C. graminifolia.
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
September - April
Fruiting
October - July
Propagation technique
Easily grown from fresh seed. One of the few Celmisia that adapts well to cultivation. Does best in a semi-shaded site in a moist, free draining soil. Dislikes humidity and inclined to be short-lived.
Other information
Cultivation
Occasionally available from specialist native plant nurseries.
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
graminifolia: Grassy-leaved
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.
CELGRM
Chromosome number
2n = 108
Previous conservation statuses
2017 | Data Deficient | Qualifiers: RR
2012 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: OL
2004 | Range Restricted
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Allan, H.H. 1961: Flora of New Zealand. Vol. I, Government Printer, Wellington.
Cheeseman, T. F. 1906: Manual of the New Zealand Flora.Wellington, N.Z., Government Printer
de Lange, P.J. 1994: Celmisia on Mt Pirongia Western Waikato some notes on its identity and taxonomy. Auckland Botanical Society Journal 49: 74-76.
de Lange, P.J.; Rolfe, J.R. 2010: New Zealand Indigenous Vascular Plant Checklist. Wellington, New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. 164pp.
Hooker, J.D. 1844-1845[1844] : The Botany of the Antarctic Voyage of H.M. Discovery Ships Erebus and Terror in the Years 1839-1843.Vol. 1. Flora Antarctica Part I. Botany of Lord Auckland’s Group and Campbell’s Island ed. London., Reeve, Brothers. 208 p.
St George, I. 2009: Colenso’s collections. Wellington, Securacopy. 412p.
Attribution
P.J. de Lange (7 April 2009). Description adapted from Allan, H.H. 1961
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Celmisia graminifolia Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/celmisia-graminifolia/ (Date website was queried)