Goodenia radicans
Common names
selliera, remuremu, half-star
Biostatus
Native
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Flower colours
Blue, White
Detailed description
Perennial, ± succulent creeping herb forming matted patches up to 1 m or more in diameter. Stems and branches, 1–4 mm diameter, white or yellowish, procumbent (rarely with tips ascendant) held near at or just below substrate surface, widely spreading, rooting at nodes yellowish. Leaves 1–4 borne in a fascicles along stem, alternate, appressed to ground or ascending, coriaceous, (± succulent (fleshy)), dark green to yellow-green, glabrous, glossy; petioles 4–40 mm long, slender flattened; lamina 3–50 × 1–10 mm, very variable ranging from orbicular, rhomboid through narrowly spathulate, obovate-spathulate, linear-spathulate to linear, base attenuate to truncate, apex obtuse, subacute to acute. Inflorescences single, arising in leaf axils, borne on stout fleshy, bracteate peduncles 4–45 mm, bracts 1.0–2.6 × 0.7–1.3 mm, broadly to narrowly lanceolate, falcate, green, erect; pedicels 1–24 mm long; bracts 0.8–1.0 × 0.6–0.9 mm, subulate-attenuate. Flowers 1–2. Calyx persistent, calyx lobes 1.2–1.6 × 0.7–1.2 mm, linear to narrow-triangular, green, distally flushed red, apex subacute to acute; corolla 4–11 × 8–16 mm; petals 5, fused in proximal part, inner surface white to pale blue, outer white, pinkish-white to pale red; petal segments 3–8 × 1.5–2.4 mm, lanceolate to narrow-oblong, falcate, acute to acuminate. Ovary 1.4–1.9 mm, green, glabrous. Style purple-red, stigma glabrous, orange brown. Stamens 3, orange-brown. Fruit 3.0–6.1 × 2.1–10.0 mm, obovoid to ovoid, truncate, green. Seeds 1.0–1.8 mm long, broadly ovate, broadly elliptic to almost circular, biconvex, pale orange yellow to pale brown, winged, wing 0.1–0.3 mm wide, margin irregular, wrinkled, translucent.
Similar taxa
Goodenia radicans is extremely variable and it warrants further taxonomic investigation. However most forms are distinguished from the from the allied G. heenanii, with which it grows, by the usually rhomboid through narrowly spathulate, obovate-spathulate, linear-spathulate to linear leaves. However forms with orbicular leaves that grow on cliffs along the Whanganui – North Taranaki Coastline are difficult to separate from G. heenanii. However, both species can be separated by their seeds (Webb & Simpson 2001), those of G.. heenanii are 1.0–1.5 mm long (1.0–1.8 mm long in G. radicans). Distinction from Selliera micropyhlla is less clear, although Webb & Simpson (2001) note that seeds of S. microphylla have a narrower wing (< 0.1 mm wide) (see taxonomic notes below).
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: Manawatāwhi / Three Kings Islands, North Island, South Island, Stewart Island/Rakiura, Chatham Islands.
Habitat
Coastal to alpine. In permanently to seasonally damp, open sites and depressions such as in sand swales, on cliff tops and on talus slopes below these, in coastal turf, in the marginal turf of lake and ponds, in salt pans. Mostly coastal but also recorded from well inland in the South Island and parts of the Central North Island (such as along the shores of Lake Taupo)
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 | Not Threatened
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Goodeniaceae
Synonyms
Selliera radicans Cav.
Taxonomic notes
Cytologically there is some support for Selliera microphylla (see de Lange & Rolfe 2010) but this needs further investigation. Shepherd et al. (2020) treated Selliera microphylla as part of their concept of Goodenia radicans. This view is not followed because there has not been a published treatment of Selliera microphylla. Because one North Island population of Selliera microphylla is cytologically distinct from Goodenia radicans, further study is needed. Conversations with Dr Kelly Shepherd affirmed that none of the authors of Shepherd et al. (2020) had examined Selliera microphylla, rather they had relied on a personal perspective expressed to them of its status by one New Zealand botanist. As Selliera microphylla is under threat from land development and invasive weeds, it is felt its relegation into synonymy within a broad concept of Goodenia radicans without appropriate assessment is premature and from a conservation view point unwise (see Selliera microphylla). TEST
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
August–April
Fruiting
October–June
Propagation technique
Easily grown from fresh seed and by the division of established plants. Does best in a permanently damp site in full sun. Not particularly fussy about soil fertility. Selliera makes an excellent “no-mow” lawn. As a species, selliera is extremely variable and some critical selection of this diversity by horticulturists is needed to find the best forms suited to cultivation.
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
radicans: Creeping and rooting
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.
GOORAD
Chromosome number
2n = 16
Previous conservation statuses
2017 | Not Threatened
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
de Lange PJ, Rolfe JR. 2010. New Zealand indigenous vascular plant checklist. New Zealand Plant Conservation Network, Wellington, NZ. 131 p.
Duguid F. 1985. Selliera radicans with regular corolla. Wellington Botanical Society Bulletin 42: 84.
Shepherd KA, Lepschi BJ, Johnson EA, Gardner AG, Sessa EB, Jabaily RS. 2020. The concluding chapter: recircumscription of Goodenia (Goodeniaceae) to include four allied genera with an updated infrageneric classification. PhytoKeys 152: 27–104. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.152.49604
Webb CJ, Simpson MJA. 2001. Seeds of New Zealand Gymnosperms and Dicotyledons. Manuka Press, Christchurch. 428 p.
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange 28 June 2012. Description from herbarium material and fresh plants except for the seed description which is modified from Webb & Simpson (2001). Common name ‘half-star’ added by C C Ogle 24 Oct 2019.
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Goodenia radicans Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/goodenia-radicans/ (Date website was queried)