The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Celmisia dallii

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)

Dall'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 dallii Buchanan

Family

Asteraceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

CELDAL

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Herbs - Composites

Synonyms

None

Distribution

Endemic. South Island: Westerly, and mostly present in the mountains of North-West Nelson extending south to about Westport.

Habitat

Montane to subalpine grassland, herbfield. Often on calcareous rocks and soils derived from these.

Features

Robust tufted, somewhat viscid herb arising from usually simple, rarely multicipital stock up to 800 mm long, pseudo-stem 600-700 mm long. Lamina 80-200 × 30-50 mm, obovate-oblong to obovate-lanceolate, coriaceous, subacute to obtuse, usually apiculate; upper surface glabrous bright to dark green, midrib and main veins evident; lower densely clad in appressed satiny white to pale buff tomentum, midrib stout, grooved, main veins evident through tomentum. Margins slightly upturned, sharply minutely toothed, narrowed to base, then suddenly widened to thinly coriaceous, glabrous, prominently ribbed sheath 40-50 × 18-22 mm. Scape stout, ± flattened, strongly ribbed, 150-450 mm long. Bracts usually numerous, foliaceous, tomentum as in leaves, lower 25-50 × 6-12 mm; uppermost forming a pseudo-involucre. Capitula 35-70 mm diameter. Involucral bracts, ± viscid, 2-seriate, outer ovate-oblong, foliaceous, similar to upper bracts; inner ± 12 × 2 mm, membranous, viscid, ciliate. Ray-florets numerous, c.15 mm. long, white, tube slender, limb narrow, gradually widening to 3-4-toothed apex. Disk-florets narrow-tubular to narrow-funnelform, c.7 mm long, teeth triangular. Anthers distinctly tailed. Achenes compressed narrow-cylindric, 2-4 mm long, pilose on rather weak ribs. Pappus-hairs slender, up to c.7 mm long, minutely barbellate.

Similar Taxa

Allied to Celmisia hieraciifolia and C. holosericea species with which C. dallii shares a a finely denticulate leaf margin that is not obscured by indumentum. From C. holosericea and C. hieraciifolia, C. dallii is distinguished by it smuch larger overall size, and scapes which bear leaf-like (foliaceous) bracts

Flowering

November - February

Flower Colours

White,Yellow

Fruiting

December - April

Propagation Technique

Best grown from fresh seed. Can be grown by dividing established plants. Does best in a shaded site planted within a permanently moist, free draining soil. As a rule difficult to maintain.

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 14 Aug 2014