Species
Senecio marotiri
Etymology
Senecio: From the Latin senex 'old man' (probably referring to the bearded seeds)
Common Name(s)
None Known
Current Conservation Status
2012 - At Risk - Naturally Uncommon
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 - At Risk - Naturally Uncommon
2004 - Sparse
Qualifiers
2012 - Sp
Authority
Senecio marotiri C.J.Webb
Family
Asteraceae
Flora Category
Vascular - Native
Structural Class
Dicotyledonous Herbs - Composites
Synonyms
None
Distribution
Endemic. North Island. Known from several islands in the Bay of Islands, the Poor Knights, Chickens, Mokohinau, Great Barrier and several eastern Coromandel Islands. Recently (2006) discovered on South East (Rangitira) Island in the Chatham Island group. Naturalised in Mt Albert, Auckland.
Habitat
Strictly coastal. An opportunistic species frequenting sea bird colonies, boulderfalls, coastal turfs, cliff ledges, petrel scrub, pasture, and on smaller islands clearances within tall forest.
Features
Erect annual to short-lived perennial herb. Leaves lanate hairy when young becoming sparsely hairy or glabrous with age; lowermost leaves elliptic, long-cuneate, serrate with 3-7 teeh on each side; mid cauline leaves oblanceolate to linear-oblong, remotely dentate, 50-120 x 4-15 mm; uppermost leaves smaller, lanceolate, amplexicaul, entire or few-toothed. Supplementary bracts 9-12, 1.5-3 mm long. Involucral bracts 10-13, glabrous, 6-8 mm long. Ray florets 8-11; ligules yellow, 1-2 mm long. Disc yellow, c.4-5 mm diameter. Cypsela 2.8-3.2 mm long, densely hairy between ribs, tapering at both ends.
Similar Taxa
Most likely to be confused with Senecio australis (Forst f.) Willd. with which it occasionally grows in the wild. From S. australis, S. marotiri differs by its basal leaves which are lanately hairy to sparsely elliptic to broadly elliptic, rarely 1-pinnate but never lyrately-lobed, and glabrescent leaves, stems and capitula which are never covered in fine cobbwebby arachnoid hairs, by the cylindrical rather than urceolate (vase-shaped) capitula, much longer (6-8 cf. 5-6 mm long) and fewer (10-13 cf. 9-15) involucral bracts, and distinctly tapering cypsela. While nrDNA ITS sequences place S. australis in the lautusoid group, S. marotiri is placed outside that group, as the sister species to S. quadridentatus Labill.
Flowering
October - February
Flower Colours
Yellow
Fruiting
October - April
Propagation Technique
Easy from fresh seed and can become invasive. Best treated as an annual. Prefers full sun, and is cold sensitive
Threats
Not threatened, but rather a naturally uncommon species of sporadic distribution.
Chromosome No.
2n = 80
Endemic Taxon
Yes
Endemic Genus
No
Endemic Family
No
Where To Buy
Not commercially available
Taxanomic notes
Despite its superficial similarity to the S. lautus complex, nrDNA ITS sequences place it as sister species to S. quadridentatus Labill. and S. dunedinensis Belcher. Its seeds (cypsela) are very similar to those of S. quadridentatus. Not closely allied to S. australis Willd., which is part of the S. lautus complex
Attribution
Fact Sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange 1 November 2008. Description based on Webb et al. (1988) supplemented by observations obtained from fresh specimens and herbarium material
References and further reading
Webb, C.J. 1988: Notes on the Senecio lautus complex in New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 26: 481-484.
This page last updated on 29 Apr 2014