Species

Senecio wairauensis

Etymology

Senecio: From the Latin senex 'old man' (probably referring to the bearded seeds)
wairauensis: of the Wairau Valley

Common Name(s)

Mountain fireweed

Current Conservation Status

2012 - Not Threatened

Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2012
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2012 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS). This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2009 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Authors: Peter J. de Lange, Jeremy R. Rolfe, Paul D. Champion, Shannel P. Courtney, Peter B. Heenan, John W. Barkla, Ewen K. Cameron, David A. Norton and Rodney A. Hitchmough. File size: 792KB

Previous Conservation Status

2009 - Not Threatened
2004 - Not Threatened

Authority

Senecio wairauensis Belcher

Family

Asteraceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

SENWAI

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.

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Herbs - Composites

Synonyms

Erechtites glabrescens Kirk nom. illegit., Erechtites prenanthoides var. â minor Hook.f., Erechtites wairauensis (Belcher) Allan var. wairauensis, Erechtites wairauensis var. robusta Allan

Distribution

Endemic. North, South and Stewart Islands

Habitat

Usually montane to alpine as a ground plant in forest, scrub or in open ground. Also common along stream sides, lake margins and in bogs. May also grow in tussock grassland. In the southern part of its range it also grows near the coast.

Flower Colours

Yellow

Propagation Technique

Easy from fresh seed. Can become invasive. Not an overly interesting or attractive garden subject.

Threats

Not Threatened

Chromosome No.

2n = 40

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

Where To Buy

Not commercially available

Cultural Use/Importance

A very variable species buit several well marked races which probably warrant formal taxonomic rank. There is some independent support for this based on nrDNA ITS sequences

This page last updated on 19 Jan 2014