Leptinella albida
Biostatus
Native
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledonous composites
Flower colours
Red/Pink, Yellow
Detailed description
Monoecious, creeping, perennial herb forming compact mats up to 1 m wide, all parts densely covered in long silky, white-silver or grey-silvery hairs. Rhizomes densely intertwinned, more or less horizontal on soil surface or ascending and tightly packed, very hairy; branches usually in clusters of up to 4 radiating from around a flowering node; leaves clustered near stem apex, usually crowded, rarely up to 8 mm apart, short shoots absent. Roots stout up to 0.5 mm diameter. Leaves 1-pinnatifid, 4-10 x 2-3 mm; blade coriaceous, dark green though obscured by dense covering of woolly hairs; pinnae 4-8 pairs, close set and obscured by hairs, cut to rhachis, obovate, obtuse, edentate. Peduncles longer than leaves; 10-20 mm, ebracteate, densely floccose, woolly. Capitula 3-10 mm diameter; surface convex; involucre subcampanulate; involucral bracts 20, subequally biseriate, oblong, grey-green, densely floccose, woolly hairy, with wide brown scarious margins; pistillate florets 20, subequally biseriate, 2.75 mm long, straight, pale yellow or yellow-red; corolla 3 times as long as wide, teeth equal; staminate florets numerous. Cypsela 1.6-0.6 mm, golden-brown, compressed, biconvex, slightly wrinkled.
Similar taxa
Closely allied to L. pectinata (Hook.f.) D.G.Lloyd et C.J.Webb, especially subsp. villosa (G.Simpson) D.G.Lloyd et C.J.Webb. From this subspecies L. albida cannot always be reliably distinguished; morphologically it typically differs by its tight, mat-forming habit and silvery foliage, with all parts except the florets densely covered in floccose, woolly, silvery-white hairs. Nevertheless, intermediates occur. Cytologically L. albida is diploid (2n = 52) and subsp. villosa tetraploid (2n = 104) but even there distinctions fall apart because in some sites plants with the morphology of L. albida have 2n = 104 whilst at others plants matching L. pectinata subsp. villosa have been found with chromosome numbers of 2n = 52.
Distribution
Endemic. South Island, Central Otago Mountains (Old Man Range, Mt Cardrona and Mount Pisa (Pisa Range))
Habitat
Alpine (>1600 m a.s.l.) in fell field, rubble, and rockland.
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 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: Sp, DPS, RR
Threats
A local, range restricted endemic abundant within its few known habitats.
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Asteraceae
Synonyms
Cotula sericea (Kirk) Cockayne et Allan, Cotula albida D.G.Lloyd,
Taxonomic notes
The distinction of this species from L. pectinata subsp. villosa is not clear, intergrades are common, and cytological results conflicting. Further research is needed to ascertain its exact taxonomic status.
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
October - January
Fruiting
December - April
Life cycle
Papery cypselae are dispersed by wind and possibly attachment (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Easily grown from rooted pieces. However, prefers non-humid climates and dislikes excessive moisture.
Other information
Etymology
leptinella: From the Greek word leptos (meaning slender, thin or delicate), referring to the ovary
albida: From the Latin ‘alba’, meaning somewhat white
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.
LEPALB
Chromosome number
2n = 52
Previous conservation statuses
2017 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: DP, RR, Sp
2012 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: RR, Sp
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon
2004 | Range Restricted
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Lloyd, D.G. 1972: A revision of the New Zealand, Subantarctic, and South American species of Cotula, section Leptinella. New Zealand Journal of Botany 10: 277-372.
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.
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange (31 August 2006). Description from Lloyd (1972) - as Cotula albida.
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Leptinella albida Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/leptinella-albida/ (Date website was queried)