The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Is this a variety of C. semicordata? It was growing on Mt Burns.

Kay C. semicordata is huge with broad dark green leaves and flowers the size of poached eggs. I am no Celmisia guru and it looks like there are several possibilities but it looks appropriate to be C. linearis, a common hybrid between a large Celmisia and the background plant, C. sessiliflora.

I suspect Graeme is right.

Thanks Graeme and Mike. Could it be a hybrid between C. viscosa and C. sessiliflora?

Hi Kay, mostly I have seen it as a hybrid with a non-rhizomatous Celmisia like C. spectabilis, though I imagine it can hybridise with C. viscosa, and the leaves on your image do have some features that look like C.viscosa. Only way to know for sure would be a close examination of leaf surface and margins and the flower stalk (or genetics!). However, Celmisia's can hybridise with a range of species

Sorry that should be C. semicordata, not C. spectabilis (which is rhizomatous!)

I agree with Mike. It is almost certainly a hybrid between C. viscosa and C. sessiliflora. I have photographed similar plants there myself. Celmisia hybrids are extremely common in Otago/Southland and C. sessiliflora in particular seems very prone to hybridisation.

Thanks David and Mike, I appreciate your help.