The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Celmisia lateralis

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)

shrub daisy

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

Celmisia lateralis Buchanan

Family

Asteraceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

CELLAT

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Herbs - Composites

Synonyms

None

Distribution

Endemic. South Island: North-West Nelson to North Westland (Paparoa Range).

Habitat

Upper montane to subalpine. In rocky places, grassland, herbfield and fellfield

Features

Prostrate or scrambling subshrub up to 300 × 100 mm, with slender branched stems up to 400 mm long; branchlets usually close-set. Leaves numerous, densely imbricate, ascending, incurved at tips but becoming reflexed. Lamina 6.0-12.0 × 1.0-1•5 mm; linear, grading into sheath, coriaceous; upper surface glabrous, ± glandular; lower surface similar; apex acuminate to obtuse; ± glandular-pubescent; sheath 2-3 mm long, membranous, with a few ± appressed hairs at base. Scape slender, 40-80 mm long, glandular-pubescent, with or without floccose hairs; bracts similar to leaves, up to 10 mm long. Capitula 10-20 mm diameter; involucral bracts 2-seriate, subulate-lanceolate to narrow-oblong, acute, up to 8 mm long, glandular, hairs ± floccose. Ray-florets c.10 mm long, white, linear, abruptly expanded towards 3-5-toothed apex; disk-florets tubular, slightly > pappus. Achenes narrow-cylindric, compressed, 2-3 mm long, ribs with long ascending hairs. Pappus-hairs sordid-white, very slender to filiform, finely barbellate, up to c.5 mm long

Similar Taxa

One of a small group of subshrub Celmisia which includes C. brevifolia, C. gibbsii, C. rupestris, C. ramulosa and C. walkeri. From these species C. lateralis is distinguished by more or less viscid leaves whose undersides are nearly glabrous or completely so.

Flowering

November - March

Flower Colours

White,Yellow

Fruiting

December - May

Propagation Technique

Difficult. Best grown from fresh seed but can be grown from cuttings. Should be planted in a free draining, moist soil. Excellent in a pot in an alpine house, or planted in a south-facing rockery. Dislikes humidity and will not tolerate drying out.

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