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  4. Euchiton ensifer

Euchiton ensifer

Macraes, Otago.<br>Photographer: Mike Thorsen, Date taken: 04/02/2015, 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>
Euchiton ensifer.<br>Photographer: John Smith-Dodsworth, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
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Common name

creeping cudweed

Synonyms

Gnaphalium ensifer D.G.Drury, Euchiton ensifer (D.G.Drury) Anderb. (nom. illegit.)

Family

Asteraceae

Authority

Euchiton ensifer (D.G.Drury) Holub

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.

EUCENS

Chromosome number

2n = 28

Current conservation status

  • Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2017

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 | Threatened – Nationally Endangered | Qualifiers: PD, RR, Sp

Previous conservation statuses

2009 | Data Deficient

2004 | Sparse

Distribution

Endemic. North and South Islands. In the North Island known from the Kaingaroa Plain (Matea Road) and Kaimanawa Ranges. In the South rather locally distributed from Nelson south to Southland but not, apparently in Westland.

Habitat

Montane to alpine in damp sites, particularly tarn and other ephemeral pond margins, or in seepages and flushes within tussock grassland. Sometimes on stream banks.

Features

Stoloniferous, creeping perennial. Stems 1-4(-6), decumbent to ascending, spreading, simple, 20-100 mm tall. Leaves mainly basal; these short-petiolate, 13-50 x 1-5 mm, narrow-elliptic to linear, cuneate, acute, mucronate, densely covered in closely appressed white indumentum on lower surface except mid-vein, almost glabrous to sparsely tomentose above; cauline leaves only slightly reducing up stem, linear, apetiolate. Capitula 1-2 mm diameter, 1-9 in loose terminal clusters; longest subtending leaves < to marginally > diameter of cluster. Involucral bracts 4.2-5 mm, elliptic-oblong, obtuse to subacute; stereome green; lamina pale brown with darker markings toward base; gap and margins tinged pale to bright rose or red-purple. Achenes 0.8-1 mm long, covered with short antrorse hairs.

Similar taxa

Most similar to E. delicatus (D.G.Drury) Holub from which it differs by the narrow-elliptic to linear rather than elliptic-oblanceolate to oblanceolate leaves, longer involucral bracts (4.2-5 cf 3.5-4 mm in E. delicatus), rather openly diffuse rather than compact fruiting head, and larger achenes (0.8-1 mm cf. 0.7-0.8 mm long in E. delicatus) bearing longer hairs.

Flowering

October - January

Fruiting

November - April

Life cycle

Pappate cypselae are dispersed by wind and water (Thorsen et al., 2009).

Propagation technique

Easily grown from fresh seed and rooted pieces. Best kept in a partially submerged pot, placed in full sun.

Threats

A naturally uncommon, biologically sparse species which, based on current information does not appear to under any serious threat. However, weeds encroaching on montane wetlands are threating a few populations.

Etymology

euchiton: From the Greek eu (good) and chiton (tunic or covering)

Attribution

Fact sheet prepared by P.J. de Lange for NZPCN (1 June 2013)

References and further reading

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

NZPCN Fact Sheet citation

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

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