Centipeda elatinoides
Common names
sneezeweed, snuff weed
Biostatus
Native
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledonous composites
Flower colours
Green, Yellow
Detailed description
Prostrate annual to perennial herb, all parts glabrous to glabrescent, usually with short arachnoid hairs near growing tips; branches spreading, up to 300 mm long, rooting from lower nodes. Leaves alternate, obovate to narrowly obovate, 6–20 × 2.5–8 mm, glaucous green to green, margins entire or finely crenate, resin-dotted. Inflorescence a single, shortly pedunculate, leaf opposed capitulum. Peduncle 0.5–3 mm long. Capitula at flowering biconvex to hemispherical, 3–5 mm diameter, involucral bracts 1–2-seriate, obovate, 1–1.5 mm long; receptacle convex; female (outer) florets 40–80, in 2–4 rows, cylindrical, 0.2–0.4 mm, green or yellow-green; bisexual (inner) florets 4–14, obconic, 0.5–0.7 mm, purplish. Fruiting head disarticulating before stem senescence. Cypselas of female and bisexual florets similar, narrowly obovate, 1.2–2 mm, obtuse at apex, flattened, 3–4-angled in section, ribs clothed with antrorse appressed hairs, pericarp slightly thickened at or close to apex.
Similar taxa
In New Zealand C. elatinoides has been confused with C. cunninghamii, C. aotearoana, and C. minima subsp. minima. However, it is most frequently confused with C. minima subsp. minima from which it differs by its larger foliage, capitula, cypsela and usually perennial habit. The presence of fine arachnoid hairs toward the branch apices is also rather diagnostic of this species.
Distribution
Indigenous. New Zealand: North Island, South Island. Exact distribution unclear as this species has been recognised in New Zealand only since 2001. Present in Australia and Chile (South America)
Habitat
Coastal to lowland (0–300 m a.s.l.). Usually on recently exposed muddy ground on seasonally inundated sites, e.g., shallow lake and lake margins. ephemeral ponds, river and stream banks and in seepages.
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: SO
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Asteraceae
Synonyms
Myriogyne elatinoides Less, Cotula foetida Peopp. ex DC., Centipeda orbicularis var. sternutatoria (Roxb.) Bailey
Taxonomic notes
Collectively the four species now recognised from New Zealand were all regarded by Allan (1961) as C. orbicularis, a later synonym of C. minima. Webb et al. (1988) were the first to recognise C. minima and C. cunninghamii as present in New Zealand. However they regarded C. cunninghamii as introduced. NZPCN does not because it is just as likely it arrived naturally in New Zealand via water fowl. C. elatinoides could also be regarded as introduced but this too seems unlikely for much the same reasons.
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
September–May
Fruiting
October–July
Life cycle
Cypselae dispersed by wind, attachment and granivory (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Easy from rooted pieces and fresh seed. Rather invasive but ideal as a ground cover on poorly draining but exposed ground. The foliage is pleasantly aromatic.
Wetland plant indicator status rating
Information derived from the revised national wetland plant list prepared to assist councils in delineating and monitoring wetlands (Clarkson et al., 2021 Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research Contract Report LC3975 for Hawke’s Bay Regional Council). The national plant list categorises plants by the extent to which they are found in wetlands and not ‘drylands’. The indicator status ratings are OBL (obligate wetland), FACW (facultative wetland), FAC (facultative), FACU (facultative upland), and UPL (obligate upland). If you have suggestions for the Wetland Indicator Status Rating, please contact: [Enable JavaScript to view protected content]
FACW: Facultative Wetland
Usually is a hydrophyte but occasionally found in uplands (non-wetlands).
Other information
Etymology
centipeda: From the Greek word for one hundred feet
elatinoides: Resembling Elatine - a superficially similar plant of wetlands and fresh water bodies
Chromosome number
2n = 20
Previous conservation statuses
2017 | Data Deficient | Qualifiers: SO
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Thorsen MJ, Dickinson KJM, Seddon PJ. 2009. Seed dispersal systems in the New Zealand flora. Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 11: 285–309. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ppees.2009.06.001.
Walsh NG. 2001. A revision of Centipeda (Asteraceae). Muelleria 15: 33–64. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/207394#page/35/mode/1up.
Webb CJ, Sykes WR, Garnock-Jones PJ. 1988. Flora of New Zealand, Volume IV. Naturalised Pteridophytes, Gymnosperms, Dicotyledons. Botany Division, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Christchurch, NZ. 1365 p.
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange 5 May 2005. Description adapted from Walsh (2001).
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Centipeda elatinoides Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/centipeda-elatinoides/ (Date website was queried)