Raoulia subulata
Common name
scabweed
Synonyms
Psychrophyton subulatum 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.
RAOSUB
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). 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: Nelson south to Southland, mostly east of the main divide
Habitat
Subalpine herbfield
Features
Closely branched more or less tufted herb forming patches up to 100 mm diameter; branches up to c. 40 mm long. Leaves densely imbricate, suberect to spreading, 3.0-10.0 × 0.5-1.0 mm, glabrous, membranous, firm, prominently 1-nerved, lanceolate, acuminate. Capitula more or less 4 mm diameter. Involucral bracts scarious, 3-4 × c.1 mm.; inner irregularly laciniate at tips. Florets 15-25, female fewer than perfect and sterile; corolla subfunnelform, lobes more or less acute. Achenes < 1mm. long, papillae long-claviform; pappus-hairs c.3 mm. long, rather rigid, slightly thickened above; papillae claviform. Receptacle hispid.
Flowering
December - February
Flower colours
White
Fruiting
February - April
Propagation technique
Difficult - should not be removed from the wild
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.
subulata: From the Latin subulam ‘awl’, meaning awl-shaped
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.