The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Senecio carnosulus

Etymology

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

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 - At Risk - Naturally Uncommon
2009 - At Risk - Naturally Uncommon
2004 - Sparse

Qualifiers

2012 - Sp

Authority

Senecio carnosulus (Kirk) C.Webb

Family

Asteraceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

SENCAR

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Herbs - Composites

Synonyms

Senecio lautus var. carnosulus Kirk, Senecio lautus subsp. carnosulus (Kirk) Ornd., Senecio lautus var. alpha Cheeseman

Distribution

Endemic. South Island only. Banks Peninsula then from the Otago Peninsula south and across to Stewart Island.

Habitat

Coastal on rock stacks, cliff faces, amongst boulders and on cobble/ coarse gravel beaches. Sometimes on consolidated sand or clay banks. Often in association with sea bird roosts and nesting sites.

Features

Annual or short-lived perennial, somewhat fleshy herb. Stems prostrate, semi-erect to erect, often spreading laterall from some distance, particularly in well established plants. Leaves glabrous or glabrescent, if the latter then with scattered hairs on midrib and lamina margins (particularly near base); apetiolate, narrow-oblong to elliptic or obovate, amplexicaul, usually pinnatifid with 1-3 broad, few-toothed segments on either side, sometimes not lobed but serrate with 1-8 teeth on each side, 20-90 x 5-45 mm. Uppermost leaves smaller, narrower, and often less divided. Supplementary bracts 4-10, 1-4 mm long. Involucral bracts 11-16, glabrous, 5-9 mm long. Ray florets (0-)7-11; ligules yellow, 1-4 mm. Disc yellow, 4-8 mm diameter. Cypsela 2.8-3.5 mm long, grey-black, usually more or less evenly covered in dense hairs (sometimes outer most cypsela almost glabrous), slightly narrowed to apex.

Similar Taxa

Closely allied to S. lautus Willd., and S. sterquilinus Ornduff. It differs from S. lautus by its larger stature, and much more stocky, stout, succulent stems and foliage, broader leaf segments, longer involucral bracts, wider discs and shorter rays. Senecio sterquilinus is quite similar but it is usually an even larger plant, with a strictly erect rather than prostrate to semi-erect or erect growth habit, typically with more divided leaves and 13-24 rather than 10-16 involucral bracts. S. carnosulus has 2n = 80 chromosomes rather than 2n = 40 seen in S. lautus and S. sterquilinus.

Flowering

November - February

Flower Colours

Yellow

Fruiting

December - March

Propagation Technique

Easy from fresh seed. Best treated as an annual. It can become invasive.

Threats

An apparently naturally uncommon, sporadically occurring species. At times it can be locally common. There is some evidence to suggest it has declined from parts of its range, particularly around the Otago Peninsula.

Chromosome No.

2n = 80

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

This page last updated on 29 Apr 2014