Gingidia decipiens
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
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 | Not Threatened
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Flower colours
Brown, Yellow
Detailed description
Stout yellow-green to dark green or glaucescent perennial from compact tufts up to 200 mm wide. Bases surrounded by persistent dead leaf remnants. Plants not rhizomatous. Petioles 10-80 x 0.75-1.5 mm, sheaths 6-20 x 3-7 mm. Leaves once-pinnate, rarely 2-pinnate, sub-fleshy, 40-180 x 5-40 mm yellow-green, dark green to glaucescent; leaflets 5-10 pairs, these 4-24 x 3-16 mm, sessile or shortly petioluled with petiolules up to 5 mm long; mostly pinnatifid or pinnate, rare simple; if pinnatifid or pinnate with two pairs of segments; segments not overlapping, stomata equally abundant on both surfaces. Inflorescences 80-200 mm long with axes 0.75-2.0 mm diameter; compound with umbels 1-3 per inflorescence; simple umbels 5-10 per compound umbel; bracts free; flowers 8-15 per simple umbel; styles 1.5-3.0 mm long. Mericarps (excluding style) 3.2-6.0 mm long, dull or glossy, finely bullate on wings, dark yellow, brown or tinged purple, vittae dark brown, dark red-brown or dark purple-brown; ovate-oblong or ovate; apex rounded or narrowed to 2-3 lanceolate to ovate-triangular calyx teeth and thin twisted style remnant; surface broadly convex with 5 equal ribs, the 2 commissural broadly and evenly winged, or with wings broadening toward base.
Similar taxa
Distinguished from all other New Zealand species of Gingidia by the usually green to yellow green rather than glaucous leaflets which are < 15 mm long, in 5-10 pairs, mostly pinnatifid to pinnate (rarely simple), with the lower leaflets sessile or on short petiolules up to 5 mm long, usually truncate or obtuse at base. Simple leaflets usually bear 7 or more teeth, while pinnatifid leafllets have 5 or less teeth per proximal segment. More likely to be confused with Anisotome from which it is best distinguished by leaflet teeth which are not produced into hairs or bristles, and the obvious aniseed smell of the leaves when crushed.
Distribution
Endemic. South Island, mainly westerly from Nelson to Fiordland
Habitat
Subalpine to alpine herbfield (up to 1600 m.a.s.l.). Rupestral within rock crevices, ledges and within talus slopes and debris slides. Usually found on limestone, marble or granite, or base-rich facies of greywacke.
Detailed taxonomy
Genus
Family
Synonyms
Aciphylla decipiens Benth. et Hook.f., Ligusticum decipiens Kirk, Angelica decipiens Hook.f.; Ligusticum petraeum Cheeseman, Anisotome petraea (Cheeseman) Cheeseman, Gingidum decipiens (Hook.f.) J.W.Dawson
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
October - April
Fruiting
November - June
Life cycle and dispersal
Winged mericarps are dispersed by wind (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Easily grown from fresh seed. An excellent and attractive rockery plant. Ideal in a pot. Prefers free draining moist soils. Benefits from regular applications of lime.
Other information
Etymology
gingidia: A Syrian carrot
decipiens: Deceptive
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.
GINDEC
Chromosome number
2n = 22
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 | Not Threatened
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Regional conservation statuses
Otago: 2025 | Regionally Not Threatened
The regional threat classification system leverages off the national assessments in the NZTCS, providing information relevant for the regional context. Otago conservation status information is sourced from the “Conservation Status of Indigenous Vascular Plants in Otago, 2025” Jarvie S et al. (2025) report.
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Dawson JW. 1974. Validation of Gingidia (Umbelliferae). Kew Bulletin 29: 476-476.
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.
Attribution
Fact Sheet prepared by P.J. de Lange (1 February 2009). Description adapted from Dawson (1974)