Class
Order
Family
Classification
Nomenclature
Scientific Name:
Aciphylla leighii Allan, Trans. & Proc. Roy. Soc. New Zealand 69: 270 (1940)
Synonymy:
Holotype: Mount Milne, Leigh s.n., no date, CHR 19011
Description
Stock stout, multicipital, producing approximate rosettes c. 7 cm. diam.; taproot stout, deeply descending. Lvs c. 5 cm. long, spreading, 3-foliolate (including the diverging stipules); sheaths ± 3·5 cm. long, white with hyaline margins, thickening above and curving outwards, striate, narrowing upwards to c. 6 mm. from base 10 mm. wide, milky juice cop. Lamina c. 1·6 cm. × 4 mm., linear-oblong, dark green, shallowly canaliculate; margins cartilaginous, apex blunt to retuse (but with short mucro). Male plants with striate stems up to c. 5 cm. long, surrounded by paniculately arranged compound umbels forming an infl. ± 4–6 cm. diam. Primary rays 3–4, rather stout, unequal, up to c. 4 cm. long, invested by general involucre of lflike bracts ± 2 cm. long. Secondary umbels up to 2–2.5 cm. diam., with narrow-linear acicular bracteoles c. 10 mm. long (occ. with trifoliolate lamina); rays 7–10, up to c. 6 mm. long. Tertiary umbels crowded, 5–6 mm. long; bracteoles filiform. Sepals greenish, incurved, linear, acute, enlarging after petal-fall to 2 mm. long, with short claw. Stamens exserted at anthesis; petals minute, white. Female plants not seen.
[From: Allan (1961) Flora of New Zealand. Volume 1.]
Biostatus
Indigenous (Endemic)
Bibliography
Allan, H.H. 1940: Notes on New Zealand floristic botany. Including descriptions of new species, etc. - No. 7. Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand 69: 270–282.
de Lange, P.J.; Gosden, J.; Courtney, S.P.; Fergus, A.J.; Barkla, J.W.; Beadel, S.M.; Champion, P.D., Hindmarsh-Walls, R.; Makan, T.; Michel, P. 2024: Conservation status of vascular plants in Aotearoa New Zealand, 2023. New Zealand Threat Classification Series. No. 43. [Naturally uncommon]
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. [Naturally uncommon]
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. [Naturally Uncommon]
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. [Naturally Uncommon]
Perrie, L.R.; Glenny, D.S.; Shepherd, L.D. 2025: Taxonomic synopsis of Aciphylla (Apiaceae): accepted species, nomenclature, and hybridisation. New Zealand Journal of Botany: 1–41 (online) . (Published online: 21 May 2025 https://doi.org/10.1080/0028825X.2025.2498442)
