Species

Brachyscome linearis

Etymology

Brachyscome: short hair (no papys on fruit)
linearis: linear (leaves)

Current Conservation Status

2012 - Threatened - Nationally Critical

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 - RR, Sp, St
2009 - DP

Authority

Brachyscome linearis (Petrie) Druce

Family

Asteraceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

BRALIN

The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Herbs - Composites

Synonyms

Lagenifera linearis Petrie

Distribution

Endemic. South Island: Lake Te Anau and Lake Manapouri. Mavora Lakes

Habitat

Inhabiting the short turf that develops along lake margins as well as gravelly ground on exposed lake shores. Its habitats are those which are exposed only briefly during summer; being otherwise flooded for most of the year

Features

Glabrous annual rosette herb. Leaves apetiolate, linear to very narrowly linear-spathulate, mostly entire, very rarely with 1-2 teeth near apex, obtuse to acute, 10.0-25.0 × 0.5-2.0 mm. Peduncle naked, 10-30 mm long and 0.2-0.5 mm diameter at flowering, elongating to 25-45 mm at fruiting. Involucral bracts ovate to oblong, obtuse and fimbriate at apex, 1-1.5 mm long. Rays c.8-12, white, 0.5-2.0 mm long. Disc yellowish green. Achenes obovoid-oblong, compressed, eglandular, 1.0-1.5 mm long; pappus usually of few bristles c. 0.1 mm long, sometimes 0 in mature achenes

Similar Taxa

Easily distinguished from all other species of Brachyscome, except B. humilis by the mostly entire linear to narrowly linear-spathulate leaves, and annual growth habit. From B. humilis it differs by its ecology (lake margins vs alpine snow banks), strict annual growth habit, and smaller flowers with much shorter ray florets.

Flowering

November – January

Flower Colours

Green,Yellow

Fruiting

December – April

Propagation Technique

Can be grown in a pot that is kept partially submerged in a tub of water. Not an especially attractive or interesting species.

Threats

Apparently not threatened. However, this marginal turf inhabiting daisy is extremely vulnerable to changes in lake water levels. Indications are that, although widespread it is not common at any particular site

Chromosome No.

2n = 18

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

Life Cycle and Dispersal

Pappate cypselae are dispersed by wind (Thorsen et al., 2009).

Attribution

Description from Webb et al. (1988)

References and further reading

Thorsen, M. J.; Dickinson, K. J. M.; Seddon, P. J. 2009. Seed dispersal systems in the New Zealand flora. Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 2009 Vol. 11 No. 4 pp. 285-309

Webb, C. J.; Sykes, W. R.; Garnock-Jones, P. J. 1988: Flora of New Zealand. Vol. IV. Naturalised Pteridophytes, Gymnosperms, Dicotyledons. 4. Christchurch, New Zealand, Botany Division, D.S.I.R.

This page last updated on 25 May 2014