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  4. Chaerophyllum basicola

Chaerophyllum basicola

Chaerophyllum basicola.<br>Photographer: Mike Thorsen, Licence: All rights reserved. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Chaerophyllum basicola.<br>Photographer: Mike Thorsen, Licence: All rights reserved. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Specimen from Awahokomo Bluffs, image courtesy of the Auckland Museum Herbarium (AK 233128).<br>Photographer: Auckland Museum Herbarium, Licence: Public domain.
West Dome, Image courtesy of the Auckland Museum Herbarium (AK 229014).<br>Photographer: Auckland Museum Herbarium, Licence: Public domain.
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Biostatus

Native – Endemic taxon

Category

Vascular

Structural class

Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites

Flower colours

Cream

Detailed description

Short-lived perennial herb arising from slender tap root. Leaves radical, spreading, up to 110 mm long, grey-green to blue-grey; 1(-2) pinnate with 5-8 pairs of primary pinnae. Upper leaf surface glabrous, undersides glabrous to moderately hairy, pinnae linear, entire 2-15 x 0.6-1.6 mm, decreasing in size toward distal end. Peduncles 1-10, slender, 0.7-2.0 mm diam., decumbent, spreading or ascending, sometimes branched, up to 10 mm long, covered in sparse retrorse hairs. Involucre of 4-7 linear bracts; bracts 1.8-2.8 x 0.6-1.5 mm, green, entire, margins ciliate. Pedicels initially 0.4-0.9 mm long, up to 22 mm long in fruit; flowers 7-17, 2.0-3.2 mm diam. Calyx teeth obsolete. Petals 4-5, 0.6-1.2 x 0.7-0.9 mm, ovate, obovate to broadly elliptic, cream. Ovary 2.2-2.3 mm long, concial, styles 0.2-0.3 mm long slender. Filaments 0.3-0.4 mm, white; anthers 0.2-0.3 mm long, faintly rose tinted. Mericarps 4.2-4.9 x 1.2-1.6 mm, oblong, glabrous, matt, olive green. Ribs 5, prominent.

Similar taxa

Oreomyrrhis basicola is part of the O. rigida (Kirk) Allan complex from which it is best distinguished by the grey-green to blue-green leaves with fewer primary pinnae, which are only occasionally divided into secondary pinnae.

Distribution

Endemic. South Island where it is known from three sites: northern Otago, at Awahokomo (upper Waitaki Valley), and from Southland at West Dome (southern Eyre Range) and Bald Hill in the Livingstone mountains.

Habitat

Known only from limestone and ultramafic rock outcrops. On limestone it is a species of sparsely vegetated habitats, including limestone pavement, fissures, talus slopes and eroding exposures of rendzina soil. Within ultramafic habitats it occupies similar situations, such as on gravel pavements and screes.

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.

  • 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 Critical | Qualifiers: CD, DPT, RR

Jump to previous conservation statuses

Threats

It is estimated that there are <1000 plants of O. basicola scattered over three populations. Although the plants produce copious quantities of seed, and seedlings are commonly seen, adult plants tend of die after flowering. Of the three populations, Awahokomo is the most seriously threatened through displacement by introduced weeds. At the other two ultramafic habitats weeds are less of an issue, however, the populations at both sites are considered very small.

Detailed taxonomy

Family

Apiaceae

Authority

Chaerophyllum basicola (Heenan et Molloy) K.F.Chung

Synonyms

Oreomyrrhis basicola Heenan et Molloy

Endemic taxon

Yes

Endemic genus

No

Endemic family

No

Ecology

Flowering

November - January

Fruiting

January- March

Life cycle and dispersal

Hairy mericarps are dispersed by wind and possibly attachment (Thorsen et al., 2009).

Propagation technique

Difficult. Should not be removed from the wild.

Other information

Etymology

chaerophyllum: From the Greek chairo ‘to please’ and phyllon ‘leaf’

Previous conservation statuses

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.

  • 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.

2017 | Threatened – Nationally Critical | Qualifiers: CD, DP, RR, St

2012 | Threatened – Nationally Critical | Qualifiers: CD, RR, St

2009 | Threatened – Nationally Critical | Qualifiers: CD, RR, St

2004 | Threatened – Nationally Endangered

Jump to current conservation status

Referencing and citations

References and further reading

de Lange, P.J.; Heenan, P.B.; Norton, D.A.; Rolfe, J.R.; Sawyer, J.W.D. 2010: Threatened Plants of New Zealand. Canterbury University Press, Christchurch.

Heenan, P.B.; Molloy, B.P.J. 2006: A new species of Oreomyrrhis (Apiaceae) from southern South Island, New Zealand, and comparison of its limestone and ultramafic habitats. New Zealand Journal of Botany 44(1): 99-106.

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

Attribution

Fact Sheet Prepared by P.J. de Lange (1 November 2009). Description based on Heenan & Molloy (2006 - as Oreomyrrhis basicola) - see also de Lange et al (2010).

NZPCN Fact Sheet citation

Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Chaerophyllum basicola Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/chaerophyllum-basicola/ (Date website was queried)

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