Leptinella pectinata subsp. willcoxii
Synonyms
Cotula willcoxii Cheeseman, Cotula pectinata subsp. willcoxii (Cheeseman) D.G.Lloyd, Cotula monticola G.Simpson
Family
Asteraceae
Flora category
Vascular – Native
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledonous composites
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.
LEPWIL
Chromosome number
2n = 104
Current conservation status
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2017 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS). This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2012 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Authors: By Peter J. de Lange, Jeremy R. Rolfe, John W. Barkla, Shannel P. Courtney, Paul D. Champion, Leon R. Perrie, Sarah M. Beadel, Kerry A. Ford, Ilse Breitwieser, Ines Schönberger, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Peter B. Heenan and Kate Ladley.
2012 | Not Threatened
Previous conservation statuses
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Distribution
Endemic. South Island, from Mt Cook south and west to northern Fiordland.
Habitat
Subalpine to alpine (900-2400 m a.s.l.) usually near streams in seepages, on damp rock faces, bare rock and moist slopes nearly devoid of other vegetation.
Features
Monoecious, creeping, glabrous, somewhat lax perennial herb forming diffuse irregular patches. Rhizomes at or near soil surface, stout, up to 2 mm diameter, somewhat wiry, dark, sparsely villous, glabrate to glabrescent; branches usually solitary at flowering nodes. Leaves usually scattered along rhizomes. Short shoots absent. Roots extensive, wiry, much branched, up to 1 mm diameter. Leaves 1-pinnatifid, occasionally simple, 7-10 x 2-10 mm; blade up to 10 mm, broadly elliptic, firmly coriaceous, dark or yellow green, glabrous, midrib not raised on ventral surface; pinnae 1-5 pairs, distant, cut to rhachis, flat oblong to obovate, teeth usually absent, occasionally with 1-2 per pinna, these mostly on proximal margin, cut 1/2 across pinna, triangular, obtuse. Peduncles very much > leaves, 10-100 mm, ebracteate or rarely with 1 simply bract, glabrous to sparsely villous. Capitula 4-8 mm diameter; involucre subcampanulate; involucral bracts 12-24, subequally 2- or more seriate, oblong, dark green to purple green, with 1-3 dark veins, with wide brown scarious margins, glabrous to sparsely villous; pistillate flowers 12-200, 2.75 mm long, straight, yellow to yellow-red, often with 1-2 dark stripes along corolla and ovary; corolla much > than wide, dentition equal; staminate florets more numerous than pistillate. Cypsela 2.3 x 1 mm, golden-brown, compressed, biconvex, slightly to deeply wrinkled.
Similar taxa
L. pectinata subsp. willcoxii differs from L. pectinata (Hook.f.) D.G.Lloyd et C.J.Webb subsp. pectinata by its glabrous rather than glabrate to sparsely hairy rhizomes and leaves, by its broader leaves, bearing usually 5 or less pinnae (cf 5 or more in subsp. pectinata), and by the pinna which are broadly oblong to obovate (cf. linear to narrowly obovate). From subsp. villosa (G.Simpson) D.G.Lloyd et C.J.Webb subsp. willcoxii is easily distinguished by its glabrous rather than usually densely grey-white hairy rhizomes and leaves, and by its broadly elliptic to obovate leaves bearing 5 or less (cf. 5 or more) broadly oblong to obovate rather than linear to narrowly obovate pinna.
Flowering
November - February
Flower colours
Red/Pink, Yellow
Fruiting
December - May
Propagation technique
Probably easily grown.
Etymology
leptinella: From the Greek word leptos (meaning slender, thin or delicate), referring to the ovary
pectinata: Comb-bearing
Where To Buy
Not commercially available
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange 31 August 2006. Description from Lloyd (1972) - as Cotula pectinata subsp. willcoxii.
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.
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Leptinella pectinata subsp. willcoxii Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/leptinella-pectinata-subsp-willcoxii/ (Date website was queried)