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  4. Selliera radicans

Selliera radicans

Waikanae Estuary.<br>Photographer: Jeremy R. Rolfe, Date taken: 18/01/2013, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Coromandel, December.<br>Photographer: John Smith-Dodsworth, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Fruit. Makara Estuary, Wellington.<br>Photographer: Jeremy R. Rolfe, Date taken: 12/03/2008, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Selliera radicans, Curio Bay.<br>Photographer: John Barkla, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Selliera radicans, Waipu, Northland.<br>Photographer: Lisa Forester, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0'>CC BY-SA</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
In fruit. Birdlings Flat, Canterbury.<br>Photographer: Mike Thorsen, Licence: All rights reserved. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Bluff, Southland.<br>Photographer: Jesse Bythell, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Long Point, Catlins.<br>Photographer: John Barkla, Date taken: 01/01/2013, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Waikanae Estuary.<br>Photographer: Jeremy R. Rolfe, Date taken: 18/01/2013, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Waikanae Estuary.<br>Photographer: Jeremy R. Rolfe, Date taken: 18/01/2013, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Waikanae Estuary.<br>Photographer: Jeremy R. Rolfe, Date taken: 18/01/2013, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
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Common name

selliera, remuremu, half-star, bonking grass

Family

Goodeniaceae

Authority

Selliera radicans Cav.

Flora category

Vascular – Native

Endemic taxon

Yes

Endemic genus

No

Endemic family

No

Structural class

Herbs - Dicotyledons other than 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.

SELRAD

Chromosome number

2n = 16

Current conservation status

  • Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2017

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 | Not Threatened

Previous conservation statuses

2012 | Not Threatened

2009 | Not Threatened

2004 | Not Threatened

Distribution

Endemic. New Zealand: Three Kings, North, South, Stewart and Chatham Islands.

Habitat

Coastal to alpine. In permanently to seasonally damp, open sites and depressions such as in sand swales, on cliff tops and on talus slopes below these, in coastal turf, in the marginal turf of lake and ponds, in salt pans. Mostly coastal but also recorded from well inland in the South Island and parts of the Central North Island (such as along the shores of Lake Taupo)

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).

FACW: Facultative Wetland

Usually is a hydrophyte but occasionally found in uplands (non-wetlands).

Features

Perennial, ± succulent creeping herb forming matted patches up to 1 m or more in diameter. Stems and branches, 1-4 mm diameter, white or yellowish, procumbent (rarely with tips ascendant) held near at or just below substrate surface, widely spreading, rooting at nodes yellowish. Leaves, 1-4 borne in a fascicles along stem, alternate, appressed to ground or ascending, coriaceous, (± succulent (fleshy)), dark green to yellow-green, glabrous, glossy; petioles 4-40 mm long, slender flattened; lamina 3-50 × 1-10 mm, very variable ranging from orbicular, rhomboid through narrowly spathulate, obovate-spathulate, linear-spathulate to linear, base attenuate to truncate, apex obtuse, subacute to acute. Inflorescences single, arising in leaf axils, borne on stout fleshy, bracteate peduncles 4-45 mm, bracts 1.0-2.6 x 0.7-1.3 mm, broadly to narrowly lanceolate, falcate, green, erect; pedicels 1-24 mm long; bracts 0.8-1.0 × 0.6-0.9 mm, subulate-attenuate. Flowers 1-2. Calyx persistent, calyx lobes 1.2-1.6 x 0.7-1.2 mm, linear to narrow-triangular, green, distally flushed red, apex subacute to acute; corolla 4-11 x 8-16 mm; petals 5 fused in proximal part, inner surface white to pale blue, outer white, pinkish-white to pale red; petal segments 3-8 x 1.5-2.4 mm, lanceolate to narrow-oblong, falcate, acute to acuminate. Ovary 1.4-1.9 mm, green, glabrous. Style purple-red, stigma glabrous, orange brown. Stamens 3, orange-brown. Fruit 3.0-6.1 x 2.1-10.0 mm, obovoid to ovoid, truncate, green. Seeds 1.0-1.8 mm long, broadly ovate, broadly elliptic to almost circular, biconvex, pale orange yellow to pale brown, winged, wing 0.1-0.3 mm wide, margin irregular, wrinkled, translucent.

Similar taxa

Selliera radicans is extremely variable and it warrants further taxonomic investigation. However most forms are distinguished from the from the allied S. rotundifolia with which it grows by the usually rhomboid through narrowly spathulate, obovate-spathulate, linear-spathulate to linear leaves. However forms with orbicular leaves that grow on cliffs along the Whanganui - North Taranaki Coastline are difficult to separate from S. rotundifolia. However, both species can be separated by their seeds (Webb & Simpson 2001), those of S. rotundifolia are 1.0-1.5 mm long (1.0-1.8 mm long in S. radicans). Distinction from S. microphlla is less clear, although Webb & Simpson (2001) note that seeds of S. microphylla have a narrower wing (< 0.1 mm wide). Cytologically there is some support for S. microphylla (see de Lange & Rolfe 2010) but this needs further investigation.

Flowering

August - April

Flower colours

Blue, White

Fruiting

October - June

Propagation technique

Easily grown from fresh seed and by the division of established plants. Does best in a permanently damp site in full sun. Not particularly fussy about soil fertility. Selliera makes an excellent “no-mow” lawn. As a species Selliera is extremely variable and some critical selection of this diversity by horticulturists is needed to find the best forms suited to cultivation.

Etymology

selliera: After Sellier

radicans: Creeping and rooting

Attribution

Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange 28 June 2012. Description from herbarium material and fresh plants except for the seed description which is modified from Webb & Simpson (2001). Common name ‘half-star’ added by C C Ogle 24 Oct 2019

References and further reading

de Lange, P.J.; Rolfe, J.R. 2010: New Zealand Indigenous Vascular Plant Checklist. Wellington, New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. 164pp.

Duguid, F. 1985. Selliera radicans with regular corolla. Wellington Botanical Society Bulletin, 42: 84 

Webb, C.J.; Simpson, M.J.A. 2001: Seeds of New Zealand gymnosperms and dicotyledons. Christchurch, The Caxton Press. 428 p.

NZPCN Fact Sheet citation

Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Selliera radicans Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/selliera-radicans/ (Date website was queried)

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