Classification
Class
Magnoliopsida Brongn.
Order
Rosales Bercht. & J.Presl
Family
Rosaceae
Genus
Acaena Mutis ex L.
 Nomenclature
Scientific Name:
Acaena buchananii Hook.f., Handb. New Zealand Fl. 57 (1864)
Synonymy:
  • = Acaena depressa Kirk, Trans. & Proc. New Zealand Inst. 9: 548 (1877)
  • ≡ Acaena microphylla var. depressa (Kirk) Kirk, Stud. Fl. New Zealand 134 (1899)
  • = Acaena buchananii var. inermis Bitter, Biblioth. Bot. 74: 291 (1911)
  • = Acaena buchananii var. picta Allan, Fl. New Zealand 1, 358 (1961)
 Description

Rhizomatous perennial; stems mat-forming, c. 1.2 mm diam., < 10 cm long, soon rooting and covered by soil; erect branchlets < 2 cm long. Lvs 1.5–9 cm long; stipules entire; leaflets 11–13, broad-obovate, 3–10 × 2.5–8 mm, with 7–14 obtuse teeth, dull grey-green or pale milky green on both surfaces, with veins and margins of lower surface hairy. Capitulum ± sessile, c. 5 mm diam. at flowering, c. 1 cm diam. at fruiting; florets c. 10; sepals 4; stamens 2; anthers white; styles 2, white; achenes 2. Fr. turbinate, c. 3 × 3 mm, sparsely to densely hairy; spines 4, yellow or crimson, < 1.5 cm long, bearing many retrorse, soft hairs at the tip.

[From: Webb et al. (1988) Flora of New Zealand. Volume 4.]

 Biostatus
Indigenous (Endemic)
 Phenology

Flowering: Nov.–Dec.; Fruiting: Dec.–Apr.

 Bibliography
Bitter, G. 1911: Die Gattung Acaena. Vorstudien zu einer Monographie. Bibliotheca Botanica 74: 249–336.
de Lange, P.J.; Norton, D.A.; Courtney, S.P.; Heenan, P.B.; Barkla, J.W.; Cameron, E.K.; Hitchmough, R.; Townsend, A.J. 2009: Threatened and uncommon plants of New Zealand (2008 revision). New Zealand Journal of Botany 47: 61–96. [Not threatened]
de Lange, P.J.; Norton, D.A.; Heenan, P.B.; Courtney, S.P.; Molloy, B.P.J.; Ogle, C.C.; Rance, B.D. 2004: Threatened and uncommon plants of New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 42(1): 45–76.
de Lange, P.J.; Rolfe, J.R.; Barkla J.W.; Courtney, S.P.; Champion, P.D.; Perrie, L.R.; Beadel, S.N.; Ford, K.A.; Breitwieser, I.; Schönberger, I.; Hindmarsh-Walls, R.; Heenan, P.B.; Ladley, K. 2018: Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2017. New Zealand Threat Classification Series. No. 22. [Declining]
de Lange, P.J.; Rolfe, J.R.; Champion, P.D.; Courtney, S.P.; Heenan, P.B.; Barkla, J.W.; Cameron, E.K.; Norton, D.A.; Hitchmough, R.A. 2013: Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2012. New Zealand Threat Classification Series 3. Department of Conservation, Wellington. [Declining]
Hooker, J.D. 1864: Handbook of the New Zealand Flora: a systematic description of the native plants of New Zealand and the Chatham, Kermadec's, Lord Auckland's, Campbell's and Macquarie's Islands. Part I. Reeve, London.
Kirk, T. 1877: Descriptions of new plants. Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute 9: 547–552.
Kirk,T. 1899: The Students' Flora of New Zealand and the Outlying Islands. Government Printer, Wellington, N.Z.