Schizacme novae-zelandiae
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Simplified description
Cushion-forming, dark green to green plant of tussock grasslands, cushion bogs and heaths. Cushions 100 × 30 mm, leaves tightly overlapping, 2.8–4.5 × 0.5–0.9 mm, linear-oblong, concavo-convex with pale glass-like margins and prominent, pale hair like tips. Flowers white, bell-shaped.
Flower colours
White
Detailed description
Perennial dark green, bright green to a;lmost glaucescent plants forming cushions up to 100 × 30 mm. Leaves sessile, tightly imbricate, glabrous with indistinct midrib; lamina 2.8–4.5 × 0.5–0.9 mm, linear-oblong, concavo-convex; margins minutely hyaline in distal half or for most their length; apex with apiculum 0.1–0.5 mm long. Bracts similar to leaves, glabrous; lamina 2.4–3.0 × 0.5–0.7 mm, linear to oblong; apiculum 0.2–0.3 mm long, hyaline. Flowers, white, pedicellate. Pedicels < 0.1 mm, glabrous. Calyx tube 0.4–0.6 mm long; lobes 1.1–2.1 × 0.4–1.0 mm, narrowly deltoid to deltoid unequal (with one pair slightly larger) or ± equal; apiculum 0.1–0.2 mm, glabrous, hyaline. Corolla campanulate; tube 1.7–3.0 mm long; lobes glabrous 0.6–1.0 × 0.8–1.2 mm, obtuse, ± acuminate. Styles 0.4–0.5 mm long. Capsule 2.2–3.4 × 1.9–2.5 mm; locules ± globular; wings distal, boat-shaped. Seed 0.6–0.7 × 0.4–0.5 mm, oblong-elliptic, buff, orange-brown to nut brown.
Similar taxa
Distinguished from S. montana var. helmsii by the sessile rather than weakly petiolate, rigid leaves whose margins have a distinctly (rather than indistinct) hyaline margin and hyaline apiculus. Both varieties are sympatric in the Paparoa ranges, North Westland.
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: North West Nelson to Fiordland. Stewart Island plants and some specimens from Fiordland whose leaves have ciliate bases may represent another, as yet undescribed entity.
Habitat
Montane to alpine in wet tussock (Chionochloa) grassland, cushion bogs (often admixed with Donatia novae-zelandiae) and heath land.
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
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Synonyms
Mitrasacme novae-zelandiae Hook.f. var. novae-zelandiae
Taxonomic notes
A full revision of the New Zealand Mitrasacme is required. When Dunlop (1996) erected the Australasian genus Schizacme they indicated that the New Zealand taxa Mitrasacme montana var. helmsii and M. novae-zelandiae var. novae-zelandiae were congeneric with Australian species of Schizacme but did not provide a formal treatment of them (Webb & Simpson 2001). Aside from the generic position, morphological evidence suggests that M. montana var. helmsii needs formal elevation to species rank, and further some Fiordland and Stewart Island populations currently attributed to M. novae-zelandiae var. novae-zelandiae may warrant segregation and formal taxonomic recognition.
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
October - February
Fruiting
January - May
Propagation technique
Unknown.
Wetland plant indicator status rating
Information derived from the revised national wetland plant list prepared to assist councils in delineating and monitoring wetlands (Clarkson et al., 2021 Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research Contract Report LC3975 for Hawke’s Bay Regional Council). The national plant list categorises plants by the extent to which they are found in wetlands and not ‘drylands’. The indicator status ratings are OBL (obligate wetland), FACW (facultative wetland), FAC (facultative), FACU (facultative upland), and UPL (obligate upland). If you have suggestions for the Wetland Indicator Status Rating, please contact: [Enable JavaScript to view protected content]
OBL: Obligate Wetland
Almost always is a hydrophyte, rarely in uplands (non-wetlands).
Other information
Etymology
novae-zelandiae: Of New Zealand
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.
SCHNOV
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
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 “Regional conservation status of indigenous vascular plants in Otago” Jarvie S et al. (2024) report.
Otago: 2024 | Threatened – Regionally Vulnerable | Qualifiers: OL, RR, NS, DPS
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Dunlop, C.R. 1996: Schizacme. Pp. 58-59, 314 in Orchard, A.E. (ed.) Flora of Australia. Vol 28: Gentianales. Melbourne, CSIRO publishing and Australian Biological Resources Study.
Webb, C.J. & Simpson, M.J.A. 2001: Seeds of New Zealand Gymnosperms and Dicotyledons. Christchurch, Manuka Press.
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange (12 November 2014). Description adapted from Allan (1961) and Webb & Simpson (2001), supplemented with observations made from dried material.
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.
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Schizacme novae-zelandiae Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/schizacme-novae-zelandiae/ (Date website was queried)