The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Celmisia petriei

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
petriei: Named after Donald Petrei (1846 -1925), Otago botanist

Common Name(s)

Petrie's mountain 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 petriei Cheeseman

Family

Asteraceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

CELPET

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Herbs - Composites

Synonyms

None

Distribution

Endemic. South Island: Widespread from southern Marlborough and North Westland south, and becoming more abundant in the southern part of the South Island.

Habitat

Montane to subalpine. Inhabiting grassland, herbfield, damp seepages within rock outcrops and in damp boulder falls and talus

Features

Stout tufted herb with strict, rigid, coriaceous leaves; leaf-sheaths densely imbricate around stems. Lamina 150-500 × 10-30 mm, linear-lanceolate, acuminate, subpungent; upper surface glabrous, with a stout pair of ribs (sometimes doubled) parallel to rather obscure midrib (often with a further pair ± developed either side); lower surface completely clad in closely appressed white satiny tomentum, midrib and lateral pair evident; margins ± recurved, gradually narrowed to sheath or with very short petiole; sheath 40-80 mm long, coriaceous, finely grooved, midrib prominent, both surfaces clad in deciduous white satiny tomentum. Scape ± 200-500 mm long, stout, clad in dense floccose hairs; bracts narrow-linear; lower with lamina up to c.80 mm long. Capitula 30-40 mm diameter; involucral bracts linear-subulate, acuminate, up to c.17 mm long, pale brown, ± floccose-hairy on back, glabrous within, midrib evident. Ray-florets ± 17-20 mm long, white, tube narrow-cylindric, limb narrow-oblong. Disk-florets 6-7 mm long, tubular, teeth minute. Achenes cylindric, grooved, 2-3 mm long, with minute stiff white hairs on ribs. Pappus-hairs up to c.7 mm long, slender, minutely barbellate

Similar Taxa

Allied to Celmisia armstrongii and C. lyallii. From Celmisia lyallii it is distinguished by the leaves which lack a sharp tip and which have a stout, parallel pair of veins either side of an obscure central midrib rather than a single prominent midrib. From Celmisia armstrongii, C. petriei differs by the absence of a broad yellow band either side of the midrib on the upper leaf surface.

Flowering

November - February

Flower Colours

White,Yellow

Fruiting

December - April

Propagation Technique

Easily grown in a shaded site, planted within a permanently moist, free draining, acidic soil. Dislikes humidity and will not tolerate drying out. Best grown from fresh seed which should be sown immediately or stratified in a fridge or freezer for 1-3 months

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