Species

Geum pusillum

Etymology

Geum: Possibly from the Greek geuo 'to give a pleasant flavour', the roots of some species being aromatic.
pusillum: Insignificant, weak

Common Name(s)

Geum

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 - Not Threatened
2004 - Not Threatened

Qualifiers

2012 - RR, Sp

Authority

Geum pusillum Petrie

Family

Rosaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

GEUPUS

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 other than Composites

Synonyms

Oncostylus pusillus (Petrie) F.Bolle

Distribution

Endemic. New Zealand: Central Otago (Old Man and Garvie Ranges)

Habitat

Alpine. Inhabiting snow banks and flushes. Usually found within Ranunculus L. or Kelleria Endl. mats, or amongst Coprosma niphophila Orchard.

Features

Diminutive, purple-brown to bronze-green, herb forming diffuse, prostrate patches. Plants at flowering 10-100 mm tall. Root stock slender, ± ascending, apex densely covered in long persistent, fibrous leaf remnants. Basal leaves up to 25(-45) mm long, pinnate; lateral leaflets small, in up to 5-(7) pairs; terminal leaflet 3-7(-10) mm long; lamina suborbicular, crenate-dentate, occasionally obscurely 3-5-lobed, hairs strigose, white, sparse; lateral leaflets 3-5 pairs, similar to basal leaves but smaller. Scapes 10-100 mm tall at flowering, bracts (0-)1(-3), pubescent. Flowers solitary, minute; calyx-lobes ovate. Petals 5-6, white, (0.9-)1.2-1.5 mm long, ± oblong to somewhat oblong-truncate. Receptacle elongate, villous. Achenes minute, glabrous, obliquely obovoid-oblong, style remnant minute, recurved.

Similar Taxa

Geum pusillum is superficially similar to reduced forms of G. leiospermum Petrie which may bear only solitary flowers. From such plants G. pusillum differs by the pubescent peduncle which lacks the intermixed long hairs usually found in G. leiospermum, and also by the lateral leaflets which are usually not as reduced in relation to the terminal leaflet

Flowering

November – February

Flower Colours

White

Fruiting

December- March

Propagation Technique

Can be grown in pots in an alpine house. Best from fresh seed.

Threats

Not Threatened

Chromosome No.

2n = 70

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

Life Cycle and Dispersal

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

Where To Buy

Not Commercially Available.

  

Attribution

Description based on herbarium specimens and both Allan (1961) and Webb et al. (1988)

References and further reading

Allan, H.H. 1961: Flora of New Zealand. Vol. I. Government Printer, Wellington

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 11: 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 27 Sep 2014