Leptinella dispersa subsp. rupestris
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledonous composites
Flower colours
Green, Yellow
Detailed description
Dioecious, widely creeping, perennial herb forming loose patches or compact turf depending on local conditions. Rhizomes at or near soil surface, green, dark red-green or purple, pliant, sparsely villous; branches usually single at flowering nodes; leaves in two rows, single at apex, 5-10 mm apart. Short shoots alternate on both sides of rhziomes with distant leaves. Roots white, slender up to 0.3 mm diameter. Leaves 1-pinnatifid, variable in size, submembranous, 3-15 x 1.5-4 mm; lamina obovate to narrowly obovate, bright green, usually with the basal pinnae brown to red-brown pigmented, glabrous, midrib not raised on upper surface; pinnae 3-5 pairs, distant or distal ones overlapping, cut to rhachis, elliptic or broadly-elliptic; teeth absent or with 1-2 on larger pinnae or up to 5 on all pinnae, inconspicuous, confined to distal and outer margins, sometimes extending partly onto proximal margin, small, cut 1/3 across pinna, triangular, obtuse. Peduncles on rhizomes, short but equal to leaves in length,2-50 mm long, ebracteate, pilose-hairy. Captiula 1-2 mm diameter (pistillate capitula 3 mm in fruit); surface convex. Pistillate capitula involucre urceolate; involucral bracts 6-16 in 2 or more unequal rows, broadly elliptic, green, glabrescent, margins scarious, brown; inner involucral bracts extending in length to enclose the subglobose fruiting head; florets 10-26, 1-1.2 mm long, not exceeding involucral bracts, curved, yellow-green, corolla slightly longer than wide; with unequal teeth. Staminate capitula with hemispherical involucre; involucral bracts 4-8 in 1-2 subequal rows, not growing after anthesis; florets more numerous. Cypsela 1.3-1.6 x 0.6-0.8 mm, brown, slightly compressed, at first chartaceous maturing smooth.
Similar taxa
L. dispersa subsp. rupestris (D.G.Lloyd) D.G.Lloyd et C.Webb differs from subsp. dispersa by its overall smaller size (leaves up to 15 mm long, pinnae in 3-5 pairs) and strictly dioecious habit.
Distribution
Endemic. North Island, in disjunct populations starting near Reef Point, then Karioitahi Gap (west of Waiuku), then in scattered, discontinuous, patches along the South Taranaki Coast to about Whanganui
Habitat
Strictly coastal where it grows in damp hollows, sand depressions, cliff faces, on slumps and slip scars, and on the margins of coastal streams in permnanent turf or sites kept open by local conditions.
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 | Threatened – Nationally Critical | Qualifiers: Sp, CI, DPR, DPT, RR, RF
Threats
A local endemic of sporadic distribution, although this plant is unlikely to have ever been that common, extant populations are small, and many now seriously threatened due to coastal erosion and loss of habitat from weeds.
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Synonyms
Cotula dispersa subsp. rupestris D.G.Lloyd
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
September - December
Fruiting
September - April
Propagation technique
Very easy from rooted pieces. The compact habit, and small, closely appressed foliage make it an ideal bowling green ground cover.
Other information
Cultivation
Occasionally available from specialist native plant nurseries.
Etymology
leptinella: From the Greek word leptos (meaning slender, thin or delicate), referring to the ovary
dispersa: Scattered
rupestris: From the Latin rupes ‘rock, cliff’, meaning growing in rocky places
Chromosome number
2n = 52
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 | Threatened – Nationally Critical | Qualifiers: DP, RR, RF, Sp
2012 | Threatened – Nationally Critical | Qualifiers: RF, Sp
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: RF
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.
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange 31 August 2006. Description from Lloyd (1972) - as Cotula dispersa subsp. rupestris.
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Leptinella dispersa subsp. rupestris Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/leptinella-dispersa-subsp-rupestris/ (Date website was queried)