Species

Euchiton ensifer

Etymology

Euchiton: From the Greek eu (good) and chiton (tunic or covering)

Common Name(s)

Creeping Cudweed

Current Conservation Status

2012 - Threatened - Nationally Endangered

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 - Data Deficient
2004 - Sparse

Qualifiers

2012 - PD, RR, Sp

Authority

Euchiton ensifer (D.G.Drury) Holub

Family

Asteraceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

EUCENS

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

Gnaphalium ensifer D.G.Drury, Euchiton ensifer (D.G.Drury) Anderb. (nom. illegit.)

Distribution

Endemic. North and South Islands. In the North Island known from the Kaingaroa Plain (Matea Road) and Kaimanawa Ranges. In the South rather locally distributed from Nelson south to Southland but not, apparently in Westland.

Habitat

Montane to alpine in damp sites, particularly tarn and other ephemeral pond margins, or in seepages and flushes within tussock grassland. Sometimes on stream banks.

Features

Stoloniferous, creeping perennial. Stems 1-4(-6), decumbent to ascending, spreading, simple, 20-100 mm tall. Leaves mainly basal; these short-petiolate, 13-50 x 1-5 mm, narrow-elliptic to linear, cuneate, acute, mucronate, densely covered in closely appressed white indumentum on lower surface except mid-vein, almost glabrous to sparsely tomentose above; cauline leaves only slightly reducing up stem, linear, apetiolate. Capitula 1-2 mm diameter, 1-9 in loose terminal clusters; longest subtending leaves < to marginally > diameter of cluster. Involucral bracts 4.2-5 mm, elliptic-oblong, obtuse to subacute; stereome green; lamina pale brown with darker markings toward base; gap and margins tinged pale to bright rose or red-purple. Achenes 0.8-1 mm long, covered with short antrorse hairs.

Similar Taxa

Most similar to E. delicatus (D.G.Drury) Holub from which it differs by the narrow-elliptic to linear rather than elliptic-oblanceolate to oblanceolate leaves, longer involucral bracts (4.2-5 cf 3.5-4 mm in E. delicatus), rather openly diffuse rather than compact fruiting head, and larger achenes (0.8-1 mm cf. 0.7-0.8 mm long in E. delicatus) bearing longer hairs.

Flowering

October - January

Fruiting

November - April

Propagation Technique

Easily grown from fresh seed and rooted pieces. Best kept in a partially submerged pot, placed in full sun.

Threats

A naturally uncommon, biologically sparse species which, based on current information does not appear to under any serious threat. However, weeds encroaching on montane wetlands are threating a few populations.

Chromosome No.

2n = 28

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

Life Cycle and Dispersal

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

 

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 11: 285-309

This page last updated on 22 Sep 2014