Celmisia spectabilis subsp. lanceolata
Common name
common mountain daisy, cotton plant
Synonyms
Celmisia spectabilis var. lanceolata Hook. f.
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.
CELSSL
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 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: Sp
Previous conservation statuses
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: Sp
2004 | Range Restricted
Distribution
Endemic. North Island. Eastern and North Wairarapa from Cape Palliser north to Castlepoint and Mt Kupukore.
Habitat
Coastal to montane. Locally occurring at rocky sites on ridge crests and steep sided, craggy hills (locally known as taipo), in gorges, and descending to sea level at several localities
Features
Woody-based herb forming mats or cushions up to 1.5 m diameter; with branchlets arising from a usually hidden simple or multicipital stock. Living leaves in rosettes at the tips of branchlets, the whole forming a cushion or mat. Leaf sheaths densely imbricate and compacted, forming a pseudostem. Leaf lamina 70-240 × 9-30 mm, (ratio of length to width ± 10); coriaceous, usually lanceolate-oblong to narrowly ovate; upper surface shining and sulcate: lower surface densely covered in soft felted almost tomentum, midrib distinct; tip acute; margins entire and recurved, occasionally minutely toothed, with the lamina base attenuate; sheath greenish. Petiole thin with evident veins. Scape densely clad in floccose white hairs, stout, up to 300 mm long, bracteate, monocephalous. Corolla of disc florets and achenes often with uniseriate and biseriate hairs, mostly hairy, rarely glabrous. Ray florets 40-100, ligulate, white. Disc florets 60-200, 5-9 mm long, funneliform: tube glabrous or with scattered uniseriate or biseriate hairs. Achene fusiform cylindric, grooved, 1.5-6.5 mm long, usually sparsely covered in bifid hairs, rarely glabrous. Pappus hairs 5-9 mm long, barbellate.
Similar taxa
Distinguished from Celmisia spectabilis subsp. spectabilis by the narrower, longer leaves (70-240 × 9-30 mm cf. 30-180 × 3-30 mm in subsp. spectabilis), almost white rather than pale buff to brown tomentum, and attenuate rather than angled leaf base. The sheath of subsp. lanceolata is greenish rather than green to deep purple, and the achenes usually sparsely covered in hairs rather than mostly glabrous (a feature of subsp. spectabilis). Celmisia spectabilis subsp. lanceolata is allopatric from subsp. spectabilis being known only from the eastern and northern Wairarapa. From subsp. magnifica, subsp. lanceolata differs by the cuneate to cuneate-truncate lamina base, and almost white rather than pale buff coloured tomentum. The leaf sheath is greenish rather than green to purple. Celmisia spectabilis subsp. magnifica occurs to the south of the range of subsp. spectabilis from the Big Ben Range and Acheron Valley just north of Rakaia River, south to the Hunters Hills and Mount Studholme.
Flowering
October - April
Flower colours
White, Yellow
Fruiting
November - May
Propagation technique
Of the three subspecies of Celmisia spectabilis, Celmisia spectabilis subsp. lanceolata is the most easily cultivated. It is one of the few Celmisia that is easily grown in most climates though it dislikes high humidity. Best grown in a moist, free draining soil, within some afternoon shade. Plants can be raised from division but are best grown from fresh seed.
Threats
A Naturally Uncommon, narrow range endemic that is abundant within its few known locations. It does not seem to be especially threatened by browsing animals. In some places it is present in rough pasture and actively spreading.
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
spectabilis: Notable
lanceolata: Lance-shaped
Where To Buy
Occasionaly available from specialist native plant nurseries
Attribution
Description based on Given (1984)
References and further reading
Given, D.R. 1984: A taxonomic revision of Celmisia subgenus Pelliculatae section Petiolatae (Compositae—Astereae). New Zealand Journal of Botany 22: 139-158.