Celmisia macmahonii var. macmahonii
Common names
Macmahon’s rock daisy, Mt Stokes daisy
Biostatus
Native
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledonous composites
Flower colours
White, Yellow
Detailed description
Perennial, silvery-green, creeping daisy forming compact cushions 10-50 cm diam. Leaves in dense rosettes, obovate-oblong, 20-35 x 6-8 mm, leathery, all parts invested in silvery appressed hairs, these drying yellow-brown to rust-red. Flowering stems 75-125 mm long, covered in floccose silvery hairs (these also drying yellow-brown to rust-red) and numerous, linear-subulate 20 mm long, more or less appressed bracts. Flower head 20-25 mm diam. Phyllaries (scales enclosing base of flower head) numerous, linear-subulate, 12 mm long, acute to acuminate, clad in long, silky silvery (drying yellow-brown) hairs. Ray florets white, numerous, 12-15 mm long, apex 3-toothed; disc-florets yellow, tubular, 5-7 mm long, flaring at toothed apex. Seeds (Achenes) compressed-cylindric, grooved, 2 mm long, ribs clad in ascending hairs. Pappus hairs white, 6 mm, barbellate.
Similar taxa
A distinctive Celmisia not obviously allied to any other species, and distinguished from all other cushion-forming species by the leathery, stiff leaves, which are 6-8 mm wide and clad in silvery hairs which dry yellow brown or rust-red. appressed hairs.The Richmond Range endemic C. macmahonii var. hadfieldii, is very closely related, and differs mainly by its smaller overall dimensions, and sparsely hairy leaves which have apiculate apices.
Distribution
Endemic. South Island, Marlborough Sounds, confined to Mt Stokes and Macmahon.
Habitat
Shaded turf on rock ledges and cliff faces within silver beech (Lophozonia menziesii) forest.
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 Endangered | Qualifiers: CI, DPT, OL
Threats
This species has been seriously threatened by feral goats which have from time to time spread into its only known habitat. Within the last decade goat control has reduced this threat but it remains an ongoing problem until such time as goats are completely eradicated from the region, or the habitat adequately fenced. This daisy has previously had a Nationally Critical threat assessment mainly because there were so few plants, occupying a very small area. Recent surveys and monitoring suggest that although uncommon the current population remains stable.
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Asteraceae
Synonyms
None
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
November - February
Fruiting
April - July
Life cycle
Pappate cypselae are dispersed by wind (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Can be grown from fresh seed and divisions of whole plants. Tricky and difficult to maintain in cultivation without specialist care and an alpine house. Should not be removed from the wild.
Other information
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
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.
CELVMC
Chromosome number
2n = 108
Previous conservation statuses
2017 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: OL
2012 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: OL
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: ST
2004 | Threatened – Nationally Critical
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Allan, H.H. 1961: Flora of New Zealand. Vol. I. Government Printer, Wellington.
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
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange 1 January 2009. Description adapted from Allan (1961).
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): Celmisia macmahonii var. macmahonii Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/celmisia-macmahonii-var-macmahonii/ (Date website was queried)