The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Senecio repangae subsp. repangae

Etymology

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

Current Conservation Status

2018 - Threatened - Nationally Vulnerable

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 - IE, Sp
2009 - EF

Authority

Senecio repangae de Lange et B.G.Murray subsp. repangae

Family

Asteraceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Herbs - Composites

Synonyms

None

Distribution

Endemic. North Eastern North Island, on offshore islands only, from Te Wakatehaua to Cuvier (Repanga) Island

Habitat

Strictly coastal. A species of mainly offshore islands where it grows in the immediate vicinity of seabird colonies (gulls, shags, petrels, diving petrels). Also an opportunist on islands colonising sites where trees have fallen, pasture, and even behaving as a minor weed within lighthouse settlements.

Features

Erect, sparingly branched annual to short-lived perennial herb 0.2-1.2 m tall, arising from a stout woody rootstock. Foliage dull dark grey-green. Leaves pilose hairy; basal leaves cuneately narrowed or shortly petiolate, broadly elliptic-oval or rhomboidal, coarsely toothed, rarely lyrate-pinnatifid. Mid cauline leaves amplexicaul, usually deeply bifid at base, narrow, ovate, elliptic, lanceolate or oblong, pinnately lobed 1-2-pinnatifid with segments lanceolate to oblong, entire or few-toothed, gradually diminishing in size up stem, becoming apetiolate. Uppermost leaves smaller, lanceolate, dentate or pinnatifid. Supplementary bracts 5-9, narrow, 2-5 mm long; lower most usually dentate; margins often slightly villous, apex villous. Capitulum subcylindric; involucral bracts 9-17, narrowly lanceolate, 8-14 mm long, glabrescent, with purple-black villous apices. Ray florets (0-)3-9, widely and irregularly spaced; ligules 1-2 mm, sulphur yellow; margin involute; apex recurved, incised 3-4 times. Disc yellow 4-5 mm diameter. Cypsela subcylindric, 2.5-3 mm long, grey, slightly narrowed at apex, covered in hairs, but hairs distinctly denser toward apices and between ribs.

Similar Taxa

Senecio repangae subsp. pokohinuensis de Lange et B.G.Murray is similar and differs mainly by its glabrescent, glaucous foliage, short capitula bracts, and ray florets which are not recurved, and are evenly spaced. Senecio repangae had previously been included with S. lautus, from which it differs in its sparingly branched, erect growth form, non-succulent foliage, greater number of involucral bracts (9-20 cf 11-13), longer racts (6-14 mm cf 4-7 mm), shorter ligules (1-4 mm cf 5-9 mm) and grey, subcylindric rather than black, narrowly cylindric cypsela. Senecio repangae has 2n = 100 chromosomes and S. lautus 2n = 40.

Flowering

September - March

Flower Colours

Yellow

Fruiting

September - April

Propagation Technique

Easy from fresh seed. Prefers full sun. Can become invasive. Despite its weedy nature it makes an excellent pot plant

Threats

Aside from Cuvier (Repanga) Island where it is abundant this subspecies is very uncommon and is known only from small, widely scattered populations.

Chromosome No.

2n = 100

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

This page last updated on 29 Apr 2014