The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Celmisia holosericea

Etymology

Celmisia: Apparently named after Kelmis, one of Idaean Dactyls, a group of skilled mythical beings associated with the Mother Goddess Rhea in Greek mythology. Kelmis, whose name means ‘casting’, was a blacksmith and childhood friend of Zeus, son of Rhea and later king of the gods. In Ovid’s ‘Metamorphoses’, Kelmis is described as offending Zeus who turned him into adamant so he was as hard as a tempered blade

Common Name(s)

Mountain daisy

Current Conservation Status

2018 - At Risk - Declining

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

2012 - Not Threatened
2009 - Not Threatened
2004 - Not Threatened

Authority

Celmisia holosericea (G.Forst.) Hook.f.

Family

Asteraceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

CELHOL

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Herbs - Composites

Synonyms

None

Distribution

Endemic. South Island. Fiordland

Habitat

Coastal to lowland to lower subalpine rocky places, grassland, herb-field

Features

Large tufted herb with leaves all radical, sheaths imbricate around stout stem. Lamina 120-300 × 25-65 mm, coriaceous, oblong-to elliptic-lanceolate; upper surface glabrous; lower surface densely clad in closely appressed white satiny tomentum, midrib prominent, dark; apex acute to subacuminate, usually distinctly apiculate; margins flat, rather distantly denticulate, narrowed to base or very short broad petiole. Sheath ± 40 × 15 mm, coriaceous, glabrous, ribbed. Scape stout to rather slender, angled or flattened, ± 180-600 mm long. Bracts linear-subulate, c. 25-35 mm long (outer up to 50 mm). Capitula 50-70 mm diameter, subtending bracts similar to upper scape-bracts. Involucral bracts 10-25 mm long; inner narrow, glabrous, glandular-pubescent; outer broader, lanceolate, tomentose without. Ray-florets numerous, c. 25 mm long, narrow; limb gradually widening to obtuse 3-toothed apex. Disk-florets tubular to funnelform, c. 7-8 mm long. Achenes 5-6 mm long, obovoid-compressed to subfusiform, densely clad in short ascending hairs. Pappus-hairs c. 5-7 mm long, white to sordid-white, becoming rufous

Flowering

November - January

Flower Colours

White,Yellow

Fruiting

December - March

Propagation Technique

Difficult. Can be grown from fresh seed but requires a shaded, permanently moist situation.

Threats

Not Threatened

Chromosome No.

2n = 108

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

Life Cycle and Dispersal

Pappate cypselae are dispersed by wind (Thorsen et al., 2009).

This page last updated on 15 Aug 2014