Senecio dunedinensis
Synonyms
Erechtites diversifolia Petrie, Erechtites quadridentata var. lanceola Kirk
Family
Asteraceae
Flora category
Vascular – Native
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
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.
SENDUN
Chromosome number
2n = 40
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 | Threatened – Nationally Endangered | Qualifiers: DP, EF, Sp
Previous conservation statuses
2012 | Threatened – Nationally Vulnerable | Qualifiers: DP, EF, Sp
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: EF
2004 | Sparse
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: South Island (locally distributed in the east and south from the upper Wairau River to Southland).
Habitat
Lowland to subalpine (10–1300 m a.s.l.). Frequenting grey scrub where it grows in shaded sites under taller shrubs. Also often seen growing in shaded sites amongst boulders, or near or under rock overhangs. Sometimes it has been gathered from open grassland.
Detailed description
Erect, annual to short-lived, dark green to purple-green (almost brown-purple) perennial herb. Mid-cauline leaves 40–100 × 3–15 mm, dark green, purple-green to brown-purple, glabrescent on both surfaces when mature, sometimes sparsely white-lanate on upper surface, and moderately so on undersides, apetiolate, not amplexicaul, narrow-elliptic or narrowly elliptic-obovate to linear, usually remotely denticulate, sometimes entire, usually revolute, and without lobes at base. Uppermost leaves similar but smaller, usually linear and more distinct white-lanate (particularly on leaf undersides). Supplementary bracts 3–8, 1.2 mm long. Involucral bracts 12–13, glabrous to sparsely lanate, 4.5–5.5 mm long. Ray florets 0. Disc greenish yellow to dark yellow, 2–3 mm diameter, Cypsela 2.5 mm long, dark grey-black, subcylindric, narrowed to and slightly constricted below apex, usually with 2–3 rows of long hairs, these mostly on ribs, sometimes evenly hairy.
Similar taxa
Rather similar to S. quadridentatus Labill. from which it differs by more stocky growth habit, wider, glabrescent, dark purple-green, brown-purple to dark green leaves, and shorter involucral bracts (4–5.5 cf. 5.5–9 mm). Hybrids (or at least plants intermediate between species) are frequent in some parts of the South Island, particularly in disturbed lowland to intermontane habitats. An unnamed entity allied to Senecio dunedinensis is also known. That entity differs by having more deeply toothed, sometimes lyrate-pinnatifid, brown-black to maroon-black leaves. It is more widespread than S. dunedinensis ranging from eastern Marlborough to the Ahuriri River mouth (Murray & de Lange 2013)
Flowering
November–February
Flower colours
Green, Yellow
Fruiting
December–April
Propagation technique
Easy from fresh seed, best treated as an annual. Prefers semi-shade.
Threats
Never common with an apparently naturally sporadic distribution.
Etymology
senecio: From the Latin senex ‘old man’ (probably referring to the bearded seeds)
Taxonomic Issues
Senecio dunedinensis is a poorly understood species which has been much confused with S. quadridentatus and which, as currently circumscribed, includes an allied possibly unnamed species (Murray & de Lange 2013). Senecio dunedinensis in the strict sense appears to be a very uncommon species found mostly around eastern and central Otago. Many herbarium records reported as this species are S. quadridentatus or the unnamed segregate.
Attribution
Fact Sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange 1 November 2008. Description based on Webb et al. (1988).
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.
References and further reading
Murray BG, de Lange PJ. 2013. Contributions to a chromosome atlas of the New Zealand flora – 40. Miscellaneous counts for 36 families. New Zealand Journal of Botany 51(1): 31–60. https://doi.org/10.1080/0028825X.2012.747969.
Webb CJ, Sykes WR, Garnock-Jones PJ. 1988. Flora of New Zealand, Volume IV. Naturalised Pteridophytes, Gymnosperms, Dicotyledons. Botany Division, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Christchurch, NZ. 1365 p.
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Senecio dunedinensis Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/senecio-dunedinensis/ (Date website was queried)