Haastia minor
Common names
vegetable sheep
Biostatus
Native
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledonous composites
Flower colours
Orange, Yellow
Detailed description
Stout perennial forming rounded very compact masses up to 1 x 1 m diameter (usually much less); branchlets with leaves < 15 mm diameter, densely compacted. Leaves c.6-8 × 4-9 mm; apices thickened and crenulate and concealed by dense brush of long tangled whitish hairs, both surfaces or underside only clad in long hairs; veins 3-15, anastomosing above. Receptacle flat or slightly convex, c.5 mm diameter. Involucral bracts linear, obtuse to acute, glabrous except at apices. Achenes compressed, linear, c.2 mm long. Pappus-hairs scarcely thickened, up to 9 mm long, strongly barbellate (especially near apices)
Similar taxa
Haastia minor is distinguished from H. pulvinaris by its much smaller size (only rarely forming hummocks up to 1 x 1 m), branchlets < 15 mm diameter, and by the distinctly whitish tomentum. Haastia minor and H. pulvinaris could be confused with species of Raoulia, especially R. bryoides, R. eximia and R. mammillaris, with which they sometimes grow. From Raoulia, Haastia is distinguished by the anther-cells which are not tailed, and by the leaves which are > 10 mm long. Recent molecular data suggests that Haastia is very closely allied to Brachyglottis.
Distribution
Endemic. South Island: Nelson, Marlborough to Otago (mostly east of the main divide).
Habitat
Subalpine and alpine fellfield and rocks among 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.
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
Threats
A naturally uncommon, sparsely distributed plant of high-elevation scree habitats. Although it is not threatened, it is rarely common at any particular place.
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Asteraceae
Synonyms
Haastia pulvinaris var. minor Laing
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
Yes
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
November - January
Fruiting
December – February
Propagation technique
Difficult. Should not be removed from the wild.
Other information
Where To Buy
Not commercially available
Etymology
haastia: After Haast
minor: Smaller
Chromosome number
2n = 60
Previous conservation statuses
2017 | Not Threatened
2012 | Data Deficient | Qualifiers: RR
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: RR, Sp
2004 | Range Restricted
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Allan, H.H. 1961: Flora of New Zealand. Vol. I, Government Printer, Wellington.
Attribution
Description adapted from Allan (1961)
Some of this factsheet information is derived from Flora of New Zealand Online and is used under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 New Zealand licence.
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Haastia minor Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/haastia-minor/ (Date website was queried)