Leucogenes neglecta
Common name
Marlborough edelweiss
Synonyms
None (described in 1995)
Family
Asteraceae
Flora category
Vascular – Native
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
Yes
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledonous composites
Chromosome number
2n = 56
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) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website. This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2012 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants.
Please note, threat classifications are often suggested by authors when publications fall between NZTCS assessment periods – an interim threat classification status has not been assessed by the NZTCS panel.
- Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2017 . 2018. 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. 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: RR, Sp
Previous conservation statuses
2012 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: RR, Sp
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon
2004 | Range Restricted
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: South Island (Marlborough mountains between the Wairau and Awatere Rivers).
Habitat
Alpine. Occurring above the climatic tree limit on shattered rock ridges, outcrops, and erosion pavement, usually in soil-filled crevices and on ledges and banks along with a wide range of alpine cushion, mat, tufted, and rosette plants.
Detailed description
Perennial evergreen alpine subshrubs up to 300 mm tall at flowering. Leafy stems many, ascending to erect, much branched, stiff and woody towards base, 10 mm diameter including leaves. New stems arising at or below ground level, at first far spreading and rooting, later becoming erect. Leaves alternate, sessile, usually erect, appressed, and closely imbricate; narrowly elliptic, slightly concave, 8-15 x 3-5 mm; apex acute, usually thickened beneath; margin entire, smooth; clothed on both surfaces with shining, silvery-blue, appressed tomentum, striate when dry; basal sheath with pale pink margins. Peduncles distinct, 30-60 mm long, terminal on leafy stems, clothed with woolly tomentum and narrow, erect, woolly, leafy bracts c. 15 x 4 mm, with pink basal sheaths. Inflorescence 10-30 mm diameter, consisting of 5-8 capitula arranged in a flat to convex, congested, corymbose cluster, packed with woolly tomentum, and surrounded by 10-15 spreading, narrowly elliptic, acute, woolly, leafy bracts, c.1 0 x 5 mm, forming a pseudo-ray. Involucral bracts in 2-3 seriate, papery, linear-lanceolate, c.5.5 mm long, erect, shining, woolly on the back; stereome green, undivided; lamina membranous, flecked with green, finely serrate; margins membranous, transparent, brownish. Receptacle flat or slightly convex, nude. Outer florets filiform, female, 6-10, 1 seriate; corolla yellow, c.3-4 mm long, slightly dilated towards apex, 4-lobed. Inner florets tubular, hermaphrodite, 10-35; corolla yellow, c.3-4 mm long, dilated towards apex, 5-lobed. Style arms long, truncate, smooth except for brush of papillae at apex. Anthers yellow, sagittate at base, with short tails. Pappus 1-seriate, c.3 mm long, slightly shorter in filiform florets, flattened at base, minutely scabrid and shining, barely thickened at tips. Achene spindle-shaped, c.1.5 mm long, obscurely angled; hairs few, 0.1-0.4 mm long.
Similar taxa
Leucogenes neglecta is distinguished from other species of Leucogenes Beauverd by its long thin stems, narrowly elliptic acute leaves and floral bracts, uniform silvery-blue colour, and geographic distribution, and tetraploid chromosome number (2n = 56).
Flowering
December to February
Flower colours
Yellow
Fruiting
February to May
Life cycle
Pappate cypselae are wind dispersed (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Easily grown from fresh seed or cuttings. Best in an alpine house or in a pot. Dislikes humidity.
Threats
A Naturally Uncommon, range-restricted endemic abundant within its small geographic area and under no obvious threats.
Etymology
leucogenes: White genus
neglecta: Overlooked
Where To Buy
Not commercially available
Attribution
Description from Molloy (1995).
References and further reading
Molloy, B.P.J. 1995: Two new species of Leucogenes (Inuleae: Asteraceae) from New Zealand, and typification of L grandiceps. New Zealand Journal of Botany 33: 53-63
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