Euchiton paludosus
Synonyms
Gnaphalium paludosum Petrie, Euchiton paludosus (Petrie) Anderb. (nom. illegit.)
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.
EUCPAL
Chromosome number
2n = 28
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.
2018 | Data Deficient
Previous conservation statuses
2012 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: DP, Sp
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: DP
2004 | Sparse
Distribution
Endemic. North, South and Stewart Islands. In the North Island scarce from about the Kaingaroa Plain south. In the South Island local from Nelson to Southland. Local on Stewart Island
Habitat
Montane to subalpine mainly in bogs, or occasionally along stream and tarn margins, seepages and flushes within forest, shrubland, tussock grassland or herbfield.
Features
Stoloniferous perennial, forming diminutive, compact mats up to 80 mm diameter. Stems 1-2 ascending, simple 10-50 mm tall. Petioles rather short or absent. Leaves mainly basal; these 5-20 x 0.5-4 mm, elliptic to linear-elliptic or narrow-oblanceolate, obtuse to subacute, base often cuneate, attenuate; lower surface except mid-vein densely covered in white indumentum, upper surface usually glabrous and pleated, burnished bronze-green to dark green or purple green, sometimes sparsely tomentose, without pleats; cauline leaves scale-like, 1-3, ovate-triangular, amplexicaul, scarcely reducing toward apex. Capitula 1 mm diameter, solitary; subtending leaves absent; scape amongst leaves at flowering, filiform and exceeding leaves at fruiting. Involucral bracts elliptic-oblong, obtuse 3.8-4.5 mm, stereome green, tinged red-purple or maroon at apex; lamina pale brown, with a darker band at base; gap and margins tinged pale to deep red-purple. Achenes c.1 mm, covered with short antrorse hairs.
Similar taxa
Closely allied to Euchiton polylepis from which it differs by the usually pleated leaves, fewer hermaphroditic florests [1-3(-5) cf. (2-)4-7], fewer, longer bracts and longer achene hairs. Ecologically both species differ with Euchiton polylepis favouring mainly stream sides, damp hollows in grassland, and damp sites at the base of cliffs or on and around rocks, and E. paludosus bogs.
Flowering
November - December
Fruiting
December - February
Life cycle
Pappate cypselae are dispersed by wind and water (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Easily grown in a partially submerged pot in a sunny or semi-shaded site.
Threats
A naturally uncommon, biologically sparse species that it very widely distributed but never common at any particular place. It may be threatened at some sites by weeds
Etymology
euchiton: From the Greek eu (good) and chiton (tunic or covering)
paludosus: Of the swamp
Where To Buy
Not commerically available.
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
Citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Euchiton paludosus Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/euchiton-paludosus/ (Date website was queried)