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  4. Leptinella minor

Leptinella minor

Banks Peninsula.<br>Photographer: Melissa Hutchison, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Base of capitulum showing involucral bracts. In cultivation.<br>Photographer: Jeremy R. Rolfe, Date taken: 17/04/2017, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Banks Peninsula.<br>Photographer: Melissa Hutchison, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
In cultivation.<br>Photographer: Jeremy R. Rolfe, Date taken: 15/03/2007, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Beacon Rock.<br>Photographer: Melissa Hutchison, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Godley Head, Banks Peninsula.<br>Photographer: Mike Thorsen, Date taken: 06/09/2014, Licence: All rights reserved. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
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Common names

Banks Peninsula button daisy

Biostatus

Native – Endemic taxon

Category

Vascular

Structural class

Herbs - Dicotyledonous composites

Flower colours

White

Detailed description

Monoecious, creeping perennial herb forming open or diffuse patches. Rhizomes at soil surface, slender to stout 0.5–2 mm diameter; early season branches clustered, with up to 5 radiating from around a flowering node; branches produced later in season usually single at flowering nodes. Leaves 3–10, usually clustered but in vigorous growth spaced up to 20 mm apart. Short shoots absent or with 1-few small leaves. Roots 0.5–1 mm diameter, thick, coriaceous. Leaves 1-pinnatifid, 10–50 × 3–10 mm; blade 3–40 mm, dull green usually with much brown pigment on proximal pinnae, obovate, coriaceous, more or less glabrous; pinnae 5–12 pairs, not overlapping, cut to rhachis, obovate, teeth 0–7 per pinna, usually restricted to proximal pinnae, on distal margins, cut ½–⅔ across pinna, oblong, obtuse and minutely mucronate. Peduncles borne on rhizomes, equal or longer than leaves, slender, 20–50 mm long, ebracteate or with 1 bract, pilose hairy. Capitula 4–6 mm diameter; surface convex, involucre outspread; involucral bracts 15–20, equally biseriate, suborbicular, pilose hairy, with a wide brown scarious margin; pistillate florets 70–130, 2- or more seriate, 1.75 mm long, straight, white; corolla longer than wide, teeth equal; staminate florets equal in number. Cypsela 1 × 0.5 mm, pale brown when mature, slightly compressed, transversely wrinkled.

Similar taxa

Leptinella minor is very closely allied to L. filiformis (Hook.f.) D.G.Lloyd et C.Webb and L. nana (D.G.Lloyd) D.G.Lloyd et C.Webb, the three in fact forming a distinct clade using nrDNA ITS sequences. From L. nana, L. minor is readily distinguished by its taller stature, dull green leaves and white capitula. It is however, extremely close to L. filiformis, from which it differs by its larger more robust habit, thicker rhizomes (2 mm cf. < 1 mm diameter), larger and longer leaves (10–50 mm cf. 5–20 mm long), bearing more numerous teeth (especially on the proximal pinnae) and larger capitula (4–6 mm cf. 2–3 mm diameter).

Distribution

Endemic. South Island (Banks Peninsula, historic herbarium specimens show it was once on the Canterbury Plains).

Habitat

Sea level to 600 m a.s.l., on rock outcrops and associated open, rubbly skeletal soils. Usually found in sites within little surrounding vegetation. Sometimes in open grassland.

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 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: OL

Jump to previous conservation statuses

Threats

A naturally uncommon, range restricted species which can be locally abundant on parts of Banks Peninsula. It is possible that some populations have declined due to the spread of introduced weeds (especially grasses) but there is no documentation to demonstrate this.

Detailed taxonomy

Family

Asteraceae

Authority

Leptinella minor Hook.f.

Synonyms

Cotula haastii Kirk, Cotula minor (Hook.f.) Hook.f.

Endemic taxon

Yes

Endemic genus

No

Endemic family

No

Ecology

Flowering

September–July

Fruiting

September–August

Life cycle and dispersal

Papery cypselae are dispersed by wind and possibly attachment (Thorsen et al., 2009).

Propagation technique

Easily grown from the division of established plants and from fresh seed. This is an attractive, long flowering species which makes an excellent rock garden plant. It flourishes best in a sunny situation when planted in a free draining, fertile soil. Dislikes humidity.

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

minor: Smaller

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.

LEPMIN

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 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: OL

2012 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: OL

2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon

2004 | Range Restricted

Jump to current conservation status

Referencing and citations

References and further reading

Lloyd DG. 1972. A revision of the New Zealand, Subantarctic, and South American species of Cotula, section Leptinella. New Zealand Journal of Botany 10(2): 277–372. https://doi.org/10.1080/0028825X.1972.10429156.

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 for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange 31 August 2006. Description from Lloyd (1972)—as Cotula minor.

NZPCN Fact Sheet citation

Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Leptinella minor Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/leptinella-minor/ (Date website was queried)

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