Raoulia beauverdii
Synonyms
None
Family
Asteraceae
Flora category
Vascular – Native
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
Yes
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.
RAOBEA
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 – Declining | Qualifiers: DP, Sp
Previous conservation statuses
2012 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: Sp
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: DP
2004 | Sparse
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: South Island (easterly from Canterbury to Southland).
Habitat
Coastal to montane (0–500 m a.s.l.) on sand dunes and inland in short tussock grassland, often on limestone talus or loess derived from calcareous rocks, and on or near limestone and schist rock outcrops.
Detailed description
Silvery-grey (battleship grey) prostrate, creeping, perennial herb forming diffuse to dense mats up to 1 m diameter. Stems up to 0.5 mm diameter, filiform, dark brown, wiry and pliant, emitting numerous fine, long, filiform roots at leaf nodes. Branches 5–20 (or more) mm long, weakly ascending to spreading, more or less silky-pilose hairy. Leaves openly to closely imbricating on stems and branches, rarely distant (usually on rapidly growing stems), 2–5 × 0.2–1 mm, uniformly silvery-grey to battle-ship grey, linear to linear-spathulate or spathulate, apex obtuse to rounded, both surfaces covered in fine, more or less appressed greyish indumentum, margins involute. Capitula 4–6 mm diameter, florets 10–15, pale cream, more or less funnelform; involucral bracts 3–4-seriate, outer shorter than inner, broadly-ovate, acuminate, inner linear-oblong, scarious, apices obtuse, often dark brown tipped. Cypsela 0.8-0.9 mm long, ribs indistinct with basal rim not thickened, buff brown to grey brown, obovate to obovate-elliptic. Pappus 3–3.2 mm long, caducous, very finely scabrid.
Similar taxa
Previously included by Allan (1961, p. 705) within Raoulia apicinigra Kirk (as R. hookeri var. apice-nigra (Kirk) Allan), R. beauverdii differs by its more open rather than compact turf forming growth habit and darker uniformly dark metallic silver (battleship grey) rather than white foliage and also cytologically. Raoulia apicinigra has 2n = 28 chromosomes, R. beauverdii 2n = 56.
Flowering
October–December
Flower colours
Cream
Fruiting
November–February
Propagation technique
Easily grown from rooted pieces and fresh seed. Prefers a free-draining, sunny situation. In humid climates it does not grow well.
Threats
A naturally uncommon, sporadically occurring species. The dryland habitats it occupies are under increasing pressure from habitat loss, land development, and invasive weeds.
Etymology
raoulia: Named after Étienne Fiacre Louis Raoul (23 July 1815–30 March 1852) who was a French naval surgeon and naturalist. He published a book Choix de plantes de la Nouvelle-Zélande (“Selected plants of New Zealand”) in 1846. The genus was named after him by Joseph Hooker.
Taxonomic notes
This distinctive species has been included within R. monroi Hook.f. or R. apicinigra Kirk in most past flora treatments.
Attribution
Fact sheet and description by P.J. de Lange (20 April 2012). Description based on herbarium specimens lodged at AK from Awahokomo and Omaui.
References and further reading
Allan HH. 1961. Flora of New Zealand, Volume I. Indigenous Tracheophyta: Psilopsida, Lycopsida, Filicopsida, Gymnospermae, Dicotyledones. Government Printer, Wellington, NZ. 1085 p.
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Raoulia beauverdii Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/raoulia-beauverdii/ (Date website was queried)