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  4. Senecio hispidulus

Senecio hispidulus

Senecio hispidulus wild plant, Coromandel (March).<br>Photographer: John Smith-Dodsworth, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Achenes. Stokes Valley, Lower Hutt.<br>Photographer: Jeremy R. Rolfe, Date taken: 20/01/2007, 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>
Cypsela. Stokes Valley, Lower Hutt.<br>Photographer: Jeremy R. Rolfe, Date taken: 20/01/2007, 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>
Papanui Point.<br>Photographer: Gillian M. Crowcroft, 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>
Senecio hispidulus showing basal and lower cauline leaves. Eastbourne.<br>Photographer: Jeremy R. Rolfe, Date taken: 29/07/2006, 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>
Senecio hispidulus mid cauline leaves. Eastbourne.<br>Photographer: Jeremy R. Rolfe, Date taken: 29/07/2006, 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>
Senecio hispidulus showing leaf bases and auricles. Eastbourne.<br>Photographer: Jeremy R. Rolfe, Date taken: 29/07/2006, 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>
Senecio hispidulus.<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>
Senecio hispidulus.<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>
Large patch trackside, Bream Head Whangerei.<br>Photographer: Marley Ford, Date taken: 07/11/2020, 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>
Large patch trackside, Bream Head Whangerei.<br>Photographer: Marley Ford, Date taken: 07/11/2020, 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 names

fireweed

Biostatus

Native

Category

Vascular

Structural class

Herbs - Dicotyledonous composites

Flower colours

Yellow

Detailed description

Annual to short-lived perennial herb up to 2 m tall. Stems erect, sparsely to moderately coarse-hairy or glabrous near base, if hairy reducing to more or less glabrous above mid stem. Mid stem leaves more or less evenly spaced and sized, 70-150 mm long, dark green to yellow green, sometimes tinged with red, narrow-ovate to lanceolate, rarely narrow-elliptic or linear, length:width (l:w) ratio 2.5-6, usually coarse-dentate to sub-pinnatisect; segments 2-5 per side predominantly in proximal two-thirds, large divisions usually in proximal half, slightly antrorse, deltoid to narrow-deltoid or occasionally sub-oblong; base auriculate with auricles divided, semiamplexicaul; margins with scattered denticulations or teeth; both surfaces coarse hairy; lower surface dark green or purple, often with weakly cobwebby hairs overlaying coarse-hairs. Uppermost leaves narrow-lanceolate or linear, l:w 5-15 (excluding auricles), lobate or appearing undissected due to rolling of lamina, often widest at auricles. Unit Inflorescence usually of many capitula; total number of capitula per stem often 50-100; overtopping marked; mature lateral peduncles mostly 7-14 mm long. Calycular bracteoles of capitula 3-6, 1.0-2.5 mm long; peduncle and margin of bracteoles more or less glabrous at anthesis; involucre 4.5-6.0 x 1.4-1.8 mm, involucral bracts 9-13, glabrous, with erect apex; stereomes of dried material moderately convex, green with minutely blackened tip. Florets 18-35, pale yellow to yellow, c.70% female; corolla-lobes deltoid, thickened apically; corolla of bisexual florets 4.5-6.0 mm long, 5-lobed; corolla-lobes of female florets 4, 0.3-0.5 mm long. Cypsela 1.5-2.2 mm long, red-brown, narrow-obloid with fine papillose hairs in lines or narrow bands, l:w ratio of hairs 3. Pappus 4-6 mm long.

Similar taxa

Most frequently confused with the Acutely Threatened Senecio scaberulus. From that species it differs by its coarsely hispid, dark green rather than grey-green velutinous leaves, taller size (up to 2 m cf. 1 m in S. scaberulus) and by the cypsela which have hairs aligned longtidinally in the grooves rather than scatetred over the entire surface. The hybrid S. hispidulus x S. scaberulus is common in some locations where S. scaberulus was formerly present.

Distribution

Indigenous. Three Kings, North, South, Stewart and Chatham Islands. Present in Australia.

Habitat

Coastal to montane. Widespread in disturbed habitats, especially in places recently burned or cleared of indigenous vegetation. Often found as a pasture weed, and can be common in urban areas. This species was regarded as scarce in the South Island during the 1800s. It is now common in the northern two-thirds of that island though still local in the west and it is still spreading south. It seems to be a recent arrival on the Chatham Islands.

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 | Qualifiers: SO

Jump to previous conservation statuses

Detailed taxonomy

Family

Asteraceae

Authority

Senecio hispidulus A.Rich.

Synonyms

Erechtites hispidula (A.Rich.) DC.

Taxonomic notes

In New Zealand two forms are present. One, represented by the oldest collections is distinctively covered in short, hispid hairs along the stems, the other is quite glabrous. The glabrous form first appeared in Northland during the late 1800s. Both forms merge in Australia.

Endemic taxon

No

Endemic genus

No

Endemic family

No

Ecology

Flowering

August - May

Fruiting

September - July

Propagation technique

Easily grown from fresh seed. very weedy and invasive.

Other information

Etymology

senecio: From the Latin senex ‘old man’ (probably referring to the bearded seeds)

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.

SENHIS

Chromosome number

2n = 60

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 | Qualifiers: SO

2012 | Not Threatened

2009 | Not Threatened

2004 | Not Threatened

Jump to current conservation status

Referencing and citations

References and further reading

Thompson, I.R. 2004: Taxonomic studies of Australian Senecio (Asteraceae): 1. The disciform species. Muelleria 19: 101-214

Attribution

Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange (12 July 2005). Description based on Thompson (2004).

NZPCN Fact Sheet citation

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

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