Species

Galium antarcticum

Etymology

Galium: From the Greek galo 'milk', the leaves of Galium verum being used in the past to curdle milk
antarcticum: Antarctic

Common Name(s)

Antarctic bedstraw

Current Conservation Status

2009 - 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

2004 - Range Restricted

Qualifiers

2009 - RR

Authority

Galium antarcticum Hook.f.

Family

Rubiaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Herbs other than Composites

Synonyms

None

Distribution

Macquarie Island, also on the Falklands, South Georgia, Crozet, and Kerguelen Islands, and in southern South America (Chile, western Argentia)

Habitat

A species of damp seepages and low lying turf, often around lake, tarn and stream margins.

Features

Perennial herb up to 50 mm tall, main steams weak, prostrate, rooting at nodes, leafless; young stems flaccidly erect, sparsely branched, rather leafy, glabrous. Leaves and stipules similar, 4-whorled, 3-4.5 mm long, green tinged with purple, obovate to spathulate, obtuse, minutely notched, thick, somewhat fleshy, glabrous. Flowers solitary in upper axils; pedicels 0.8-1.2 mm long; calyx absent; corolla pinkish-buff; tube 0.3 mm long, lobes 3-4, 1.3 mm long. Stamens 3-4, 0.5-0.7 mm long. Styles 2, free to base, 0.5-0.6 mm long, yellowish; stigmas capitate. Ovary 0.8 mm, dark green, glabrous. Fruits dry, splitting into 2 mericarps, dark brown.

Similar Taxa

Galium antarcticum bears little resemblance to any of the New Zealand species.

Flowering

January

Flower Colours

Red / Pink,White

Fruiting

February

Propagation Technique

Unknown.

Threats

None known. Confined in the New Zealand Botanical Region to Macquarie Island. Galium antarcticum  had been presumed extinct on Macquarie Island until it was rediscovered in 2013.

Endemic Taxon

No

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

Where To Buy

Not commercially available.

Cultural Use/Importance

This species is included in the NZPCN fact sheets because Macquarie Island is part of the New Zealand Botanical Region. However, Macquarie Island is part of the Australian Territory, and so its administration and threat assessment lies with that nation.

This page last updated on 17 Jan 2014