Celmisia viscosa
Common name
Sticky 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.
CELVIS
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. Marlborough south an dmostly east of the divide
Habitat
Upper montane to alpine. In grassland, herbfield, fellfield, around rock outcrops, and in stable talus (boulder-field) and occasionally scree
Features
Stout subshrub with numerous low-growing branches, forming patches up to 2 m diameter; main stems up to 20 mm diameter, branches c.10 mm diameter, clad in persistent leaf-remnants; branchlets erect to ascending, living leaves in subrosulate tufts, ascending, finally reflexed. Lamina rigid, thick, coriaceous, very viscid, 60-150 × 6-9 mm, linear-subulate to narrow-oblong, gradually tapering from base to subacute apex; upper surface bright green, glabrous or occasionally pellicled, coarsely longitudinally grooved; lower surface white with appressed soft white felted tomentum; ribs numerous, prominent, parallel. Margins not or very slightly recurved, very minutely denticulate. Sheath abruptly widening from lamina, 20-25 × 10-15 mm, glabrous, grooved, brown to purplish. Scape stout, ± 150-300 mm long, densely glandular-pubescent; bracts few to many, viscid, linear-subulate, up to 20 mm long. Capitula 30-40 mm diameter; involucral bracts numerous, linear-subulate, acuminate, up to c.20 mm long, densely glandular-pubescent, except towards base. Ray-florets spreading, 10-20 mm long, white, limb narrow-oblong; disk-florets numerous, tubular, 3-5 mm long. Achenes narrow-cylindric, ± compressed, 3-4 mm long; ribs with short ascending hairs. Pappus-hairs up to c.6•5 mm long, white, very slender, hardly barbellate.
Similar taxa
Allied to Celmisia angustifolia from which it differs by the distinctively, heavily ribbed, extremely viscid longer leaves (60-150 × 6-9 mm cf. 25-50 × 2-6 mm).
Flowering
November - March
Flower colours
White, Yellow
Fruiting
December - May
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
viscosa: Sticky
Where To Buy
Not Commercially available.
Attribution
Description adapted from Allan (1961)
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 11: 285-309