Leucogenes grandiceps
Common names
South Island edelweiss
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
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 | Not Threatened
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledonous composites
Flower colours
White, Yellow
Detailed description
Perennial tomentose herb. Stock rather stout, woody; stems decumbent, woody at base, branches ascending; basal leaves not in subrosettes. Leaves densely to somewhat laxly imbricate, spreading, sometimes recurved, 5-10 × 2-4 mm, often apiculate, 3-5-nerved at base, obovate-cuneate, clad on both surfaces in appressed white to pale buff hairs. Peduncles hardly differentiated from branchlets. Capitula 5-15, congested into dense glomerules 9-15 mm diameter, subtended by up to 15 densely woolly leaves up to 10 mm long, forming a distinct white ray. Involucral bracts linear, acute, c.5 mm long, scarious with basal stiffening. Achenes c.1 mm. long, pappus-hairs 3-4 mm long
Similar taxa
Distinguished from Leucogenes leontopodium (Hook.f.) Beauverd by the more widely creeping growth habit; by the basal leaves not crowded into sub-rosettes; by the smaller leaves (5-10 cf. 8-20 mm long) with obtuse (rarely apiculate) rather than acute to subacute leaf apices; and by the leaves of the ray rarely > 10 mm long. Distinguished from L. neglecta Molloy and L. tarahaoa Molloy by its diploid (2n = 28), rather than tetraploid (2n = 56, L. neglecta) or octoploid (2n = 112) chromosome number. Leucogenes neglecta further differs from L. grandiceps by its long thin stems, narrowly elliptic acute leaves and floral bracts, and uniform silvery-blue colour, while L. tarahaoa differs by its compact, cushion forming habit, and silvery white leaves.
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: South and Stewart Islands
Habitat
Subalpine to alpine. On rock outcrops, cliff faces, boulders within moraines, fell field and other rock strewn ground, either in the open, amongst cushion plants or in light scrub.
Detailed taxonomy
Genus
Family
Synonyms
Gnaphalium grandiceps Hook.f., Helichrysum grandiceps (Hook.f.) Kirk
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
Yes
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
November - March
Fruiting
January - April
Life cycle and dispersal
Pappate cypselae are wind dispersed (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Easily grown from cuttings and fresh seed. Excellent in a pot within an alpine house, and in non-humid climates can be grown in rock gardens. Provided the root stock is kept cool can be grown in most lowland situations.
Other information
Cultivation
Occasionally available from specialist native plant nurseries.
Etymology
leucogenes: White genus
grandiceps: Big-headed
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.
LEUGRA
Chromosome number
2n = 28
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 | Not Threatened
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Regional conservation statuses
Otago: 2025 | Regionally Not Threatened
The regional threat classification system leverages off the national assessments in the NZTCS, providing information relevant for the regional context. Otago conservation status information is sourced from the “Conservation Status of Indigenous Vascular Plants in Otago, 2025” Jarvie S et al. (2025) report.
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Allan, H.H. 1961: Flora of New Zealand. Vol. I. Government Printer, Wellington
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
Description modified 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.