Senecio pokohinuensis
Common names
Mokohinau groundsel
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledonous composites
Flower colours
Yellow
Detailed description
Erect, sparingly branched annual to short-lived perennial herb 0.2-1.2 m tall, arising from a stout woody rootstock. Foliage dull glaucous green. Leaves sparsely pilose hairy on undersides only otherwise glabrous; basal leaves cuneately narrowed or shortly petiolate, broadly elliptic-oval or rhomboidal, coarsely toothed, rarely lyrate-pinnatifid. Mid cauline leaves amplexicaul, usually deeply bifid at base, narrow, ovate, elliptic, lanceolate or oblong, pinnately lobed 1-2-pinnatifid with segments lanceolate to oblong, entire or few-toothed, gradually diminishing in size up stem, becoming apetiolate. Uppermost leaves smaller, lanceolate, dentate or pinnatifid. Supplementary bracts 5-9, narrow, 2-5 mm long; lower most usually dentate; margins often slightly villous, apex villous. Capitulum cylindric; involucral bracts 12-20, narrowly lanceolate, 6-9 mm long, glabrescent, with purple-black villous apices. Ray florets 8-14, evenly spaced; ligules 3-6 mm, sulphur yellow; margin involute; apex recurved, incised 3-4 times. Disc yellow 4-5 mm diameter. Cypsela subcylindric, 2.5-3 mm long, grey, slightly narrowed at apex, covered in hairs, but hairs distinctly denser toward apices and between ribs.
Similar taxa
Senecio repangae de Lange et B.G.Murray is similar differing mainly by its dark green, heavily pilose-hairy foliage, urceolate involucrum, longer involucral bracts, and fewer (up to 9) ray florets which are involute, recurved, deeply incised, and widely and irregularly spaced (for more information see de Lange & Murray (1998) and de Lange et al. (2022)).
Distribution
Endemic to the Mokohinau Islands, in the north eastern Hauraki Gulf, North Island, New Zealand
Habitat
A species usually associated with sites of active sea bird nesting or roosting. It is often associated with the burrows of diving petrels, grey-faced petrels and storm petrels. On Pokohinu (Burgess) Island it also extends into former pasture, and is present as a weed in the remnants of the old light house settlement. In forested areas within sites of recent wind-throw it is often found as an early colonist.
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 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: IE, Sp
Threats
A narrow range endemic confined wholly to the Mokohinau Islands group
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Synonyms
Senecio repangae subsp. pokohinuensis de Lange et B.G.Murray
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
Throughout the year
Fruiting
Throughout the year
Propagation technique
Easy from fresh seed. Prefers full sun. Can become invasive.
Other information
Etymology
senecio: From the Latin senex ‘old man’ (probably referring to the bearded seeds)
pokohinuensis: Derived from “Pokohinu” which is te reo Maori for the type locality for the species, Pokohinu (Burgess Island), and possibly also the name for the island group, known as the “Mokohinau” Islands - a name regarded as a misnomer by the tangata whenua of the islands, Ngati Rehua.
Chromosome number
2n = 100
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 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: IE, Sp
2012 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: IE, Sp
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: OL, EF, IE
2004 | Range Restricted
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
de Lange, P.J.; Murray, B. G. 1998: Senecio repangae (Asteraceae): a new endemic species from the north-eastern North Island, New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 36(4): 509-519
de Lange, P.J.; Pelser, P.B.; Liew, C-S.; Marshall, A.J. 2022: Senecio pokohinuensis (Asteraceae), a new combination for an endemic species of Mokohinau Islands, Hauraki Gulf (Tikapa Moana o Hauraki), northern Te Ika a Maui / North Island, Aotearoa / New Zealand. Ukrainian Botanical Journal 79(3): 125–129. https://doi.org/10.15407/ukrbotj79.125
Attribution
Fact Sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange 1 November 2008. Description based on de Lange & Murray (1998).
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Senecio pokohinuensis Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/senecio-pokohinuensis/ (Date website was queried)