The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Senecio australis

Etymology

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

Common Name(s)

None known

Current Conservation Status

2012 - Non Resident Native - Vagrant

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 - Non Resident Native - Vagrant
2004 - Non Resident Native - Vagrant

Qualifiers

2012 - SO
2009 - SO

Authority

Senecio australis Willd.

Family

Asteraceae

Brief Description

Herbaceous, short-lived or annual daisy. Leaves fleshy, dark green, variable (obovate, oblanceolate, lanceolate) deeply lobed or coarsely toothed. Flower heads (capitula) vase-shaped, involucral bracts 9-15, 5-6 mm long, ligules yellow, 1-5 × 1 mm, disc yellow, 4-5 mm diameter. Seeds 2.5-2.8 × 0.3-0.5 mm.

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Herbs - Composites

Synonyms

None

Distribution

Indigenous. Present on Motukino (Fanal Island), Mokohinau Islands and North Eastern Great Barrier Island. Otherwise only known from the Norfolk Island group

Habitat

In New Zealand. Offshore islands on rock ledges, in short grasses and coastal herbs growing amongst petrel and diving petrel burrows

Features

Erect to semi-erect, heavily branched and leafy, short-lived perennial herb, (0.2-)0.8-1 m tall. Stems dark purple. Foliage dark green, glabrescent and fleshy. Lower leaves 55-75 × 25-30 mm, dark green, shortly-petiolate, obovate to oblanceolate, entire, very rarely lobed 1-2 times, apex obtuse; mid-cauline leaves 50-140 × 20-45 mm, dark green, petiolate or amplexicaul, petioles up to 10-15 mm; lamina ovate, obovate to elliptic, rarely rhomboidal, entire, coarsely dentate, or lobed 2-3 times, leaf apices obtuse; uppermost leaves smaller, lanceolate to linear or linear-spathulate, lobulate or dentate, with obtuse apices. Inflorescence a lax cyme of 3-8 capitula. Capitula urceolate. Involucral bracts (9-)13(-15), dark green, lanceolate, 5-6 mm long. Ray florets (0-)9(-12); ligules yellow, 1-5 × 1 mm; blunt-ended. Disc 4-5 mm diameter, yellow. Cypsela elliptic to oblong-elliptic 2.5-2.8 × 0.3-0.5 mm.

Similar Taxa

Senecio marotiri is superficially similar. From that species S. australis can be distinguished by its basal leaves which are lyrately-lobed, cob-webby arachnoid stem, leaf and involucral hairs, urceolate (vase-shaped) capitula, shorter and fewer involucral bracts, and shorter cypsela (seeds). It has a very different nrDNA ITS sequence placing it within the lautusoid Senecio group, whilst S. marotiri is the sister species of S. quadridentatus.

Flowering

November - April

Flower Colours

Yellow

Fruiting

November - April

Propagation Technique

Easy from fresh seed. A short-lived perennial which readily self sows in suitable habitats. Does best in a sunny, exposed location, within free draining fertile soil.

Threats

In New Zealand it is known from only three small populations comprising a total of 10 or so plants. It is clearly a recent arrival at these locations and during these initial stages of colonisation it remains vulnerable to a range of natural stochastic events. This species is abundant and not threatened on Norfolk Island.

Chromosome No.

2n = 80

Endemic Taxon

No

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

This page last updated on 6 Dec 2014