Pleurophyllum speciosum
Common name
great emperor daisy
Synonyms
None (first described in 1844)
Family
Asteraceae
Flora category
Vascular – Native
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
Yes
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledonous composites
Current conservation status
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2017 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website. This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2012 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants.
Please note, threat classifications are often suggested by authors when publications fall between NZTCS assessment periods – an interim threat classification status has not been assessed by the NZTCS panel.
- Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2017 . 2018. Peter J. de Lange, Jeremy R. Rolfe, John W. Barkla, Shannel P. Courtney, Paul D. Champion, Leon R. Perrie, Sarah M. Beadel, Kerry A. Ford, Ilse Breitwieser, Ines Schönberger, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Peter B. Heenan and Kate Ladley. Department of Conservation. Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2017 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: RR
Previous conservation statuses
2012 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: RR
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon
2004 | Range Restricted
Distribution
Endemic. Auckland Islands and Campbell Island/Motu Ihupuku.
Habitat
Coastal to montane herbfield
Detailed description
Radicals leaves 150–450 × 100–250 mm, appressed to ground or ascending, broadly obovate to subrhomboid, narrowed to broad base, coriaceous, margins remotely and indistinctly crenate to subentire, hydathodes hidden by tomentum; lateral veins ridged, almost as strong as midrib, 15–30; lamina loosely tomentose below, pilose on and near veins above and with nunmerous moniliform hairs on surface. Scapes stout, up to 1 m tall, tomentose above; lower leaves c. 150 mm long, ± oblong, upper diminishing gradually to bracts. Capitula c. 60 mm diameter including long ray-florets, c. 25 in subcorymbose racemes; ray-florets pale purple to white, disk-florets purple. Involucral bracts ± clad in moniliform hairs, acute. Achenes densely strigose. Pappus hairs not thickened above.
Similar taxa
Distinguished from Pleurophyllum criniferum by the coriaceous, sessile or sessile leaves with broad bases, and by the conspicuous ray-florets. Pleurophyllum hookeri differs from both P. criniferum and P. speciosum by having leaves with both sides covered with silvery appressed tomentum.
Flowering
December–February
Flower colours
Violet/Purple, White
Fruiting
January–May
Propagation technique
Difficult. Should not be removed from the wild.
Threats
A naturally uncommon endemic. Widespread within its island habitants. The subantarctic islands on which it occurs are Nature Reserves and World Heritage sites with access only by permit, and strictly limited as to numbers of people.
Etymology
pleurophyllum: From Greek pleuro- (rib, side) and phyllo- (leaf) components meaning ‘ribbed-leaved’.
Where To Buy
Not commercially available.
Attribution
Description adapted from: Allan (1961).
References and further reading
Allan HH. 1961. Flora of New Zealand, Volume I. Indigenous Tracheophyta: Psilopsida, Lycopsida, Filicopsida, Gymnospermae, Dicotyledones. Government Printer, Wellington, NZ. 1085 p.