Raoulia rubra
Common name
vegetable sheep
Synonyms
Psychrophyton rubrum Beauverd
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.
RAORUB
Chromosome number
2n = 28
Current conservation status
The threat classification 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. 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. Please note, threat classifications are often suggested by authors when publications fall between NZTCS assessment periods – a suggested threat classification status has not been assessed by the NZTCS panel.
Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2017 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: RR
Previous conservation statuses
2012 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: RR
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon
2004 | Range Restricted
Distribution
Endemic. North (Tararua Ranges) and South Island (North-west Nelson - Haupiri Range, Mt Arthur, North Westland - Paparoa Range)
Habitat
Subalpine to alpine - on rocky slopes, stable talus, cliff faces and rock ledges.
Features
Stock hard, woody; branches woody at base, densely compacted, forming cushions up to 250 mm diameter and 150 mm tall. Leaves 2.0-4.0 × 1.0-1•5 mm, obovate-spathulate, rounded to truncate at tips. Apical portion of leaf clad on both surfaces in long straight hairs exceeding lamina; lower portion glabrous on both surfaces, 1-nerved. Capitula c.3 mm diameter. Inner series of involucral bracts linear, obtuse, scarious on margins, tip white, short, radiating. Florets 10-15; corolla crimson to purplish. Achenes c.2.5 mm long, clad in long silky hairs; pappus-hairs c.2.5 mm long, rigid.
Flowering
November - January
Flower colours
Red/Pink, Violet/Purple
Fruiting
January - April
Propagation technique
Difficult - should not be removed from the wild
Threats
Not Threatened - A narrow range endemic common within its known geographic range
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.
rubra: Red
Where To Buy
Not commercially available
Attribution
Description adapted from Allan (1961).
References and further reading
Allan, H.H. 1961: Flora of New Zealand. Vol. I, Government Printer, Wellington.