The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Anisotome latifolia

Etymology

Anisotome: unequal sided

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 - Range Restricted

Qualifiers

2012 - CD

Authority

Anisotome latifolia Hook.f.

Family

Apiaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

ANILAT

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Herbs other than Composites

Synonyms

Ligusticum latifolium (Hook.f.) Hook.f., Calosciadium latifolium (Hook.f.) Endl. ex Walp., Aciphylla latifolia (Hook.f.) Cockayne

Distribution

Endemic. Auckland and Campbell Islands.

Habitat

Coastal to montane on peaty ground amongst boulders, tussocks and other megaherbs, more rarely under scrub and low forest. Most abundant at lower alitudes.

Features

Robust perennial herb reaching up to 2 m tall. Basal leaves firmly coriaceous, ovate 0.3-0.6 x 0.1-02 m; 2-pinnate, leaflets in 5-7 pairs, dark green to yellow-green, ovate to lanceolate, shortly petiolulate or sessile;leaflet margins cartilaginous, pinnatifid or deeply incised into broad toothed or incised segments; teeth acute, piliferous with hairs 2.0-3.5 mm long; petioles 0.15-0.3m x 7.0-15.0 mm, subterete, with a central ridge on the somewhat flattened adaxial surface; sheaths 50-80 x 35-50 mm, prolonged at the apex into two broad lobes free from the petioles by 2-3 mm; cauline leaf sheaths markedly inflated; peduncles 20-150 mm long. Inflorescence axis up to 2 m by 10-15 mm diameter at first node. Flowers off white to pale creamy pink. Staminate flowers held within an involucre of linear to lanceolate bracts 5-15 x 1-2 mm; involucel of several linear to lanceolate bracteoles 3.0-7.0 x 0.5-1.5 mm; rays 20-40, 5-20 mm long; pedicels 20-40, 2-5 mm long. Pistillate flowers similar, involucre bracts linear to broadly lanceolate, 10-35 x 1-5 mm, involucel bracteoles linear to lanceolate 2.0-10.0 x 0.5-2.0 mm, rays 20-40, 10-35 mm long, pedicels 15-30, 1-5 mm long; styles slender, 1-2 mm long, divergent. Mericarp elliptic, elliptic-ovate, elliptic-oblong or narrowly elliptic, 3.5-5.5-7.0 mm long; apex usually slightly narrowed and obtuse, sometimes rounded, base obtuse to truncate; 2-5-ribbed; ribs usually even, sometimes irregular, equal thin, finely winged with a narrow hyaline margin. Surface dull; ribs yellow, dark yellow or orange; vittae usually obscured in mature mericarps, if visible dark red-brown.

Similar Taxa

Probably allied to A. acutifolia Kirk, A. antipoda Hook.f. and A. lyallii Hook.f., four species that can grow as tall as 2 m when flowering and are confined to the southern South Island and Stewart Island (A. lyallii) or the subantarctic Islands (A. acutifolia, A. antipoda and A. latifolia). A. latifolia is sympatric on the Auckland and Campbell Islands with A. antipoda from which it can be easily distinguished by its muich more coarsely divided leaves, and off white to pale pink rather than dark pink to magenta flowers.

Flowering

October - February

Flower Colours

Cream,White

Fruiting

January - March

Propagation Technique

Easy from fresh seed. Easily grown in a deep, peaty, permanently damp soil. Resent hot, humid weather and prone to collapse under such conditions. A beautiful plant that deserves to be more widely cultivated than it currently is.

Threats

Not Threatened. Listed because it is naturally confined to a small geographic area. It is abundant on Campbell and common on those islands of the Auckland group free of browsing animals.

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

Life Cycle and Dispersal

Winged mericarps are dispersed by wind (Thorsen et al., 2009).

This page last updated on 19 May 2014