Classification
Class
Magnoliopsida Brongn.
Order
Asterales Link
Family
Compositae Giseke
Genus
Celmisia Cass.
 Nomenclature
Scientific Name:
Celmisia mackaui Raoul, Choix Pl. Nouv.-Zél. t. 14 (1846)
 Description

Woody-based herb with short branchlets arising from a multicipital stock, usually just below the soil surface; living leaves in rosettes at the tips of branchlets; the whole plant forming a loose mat of numerous rosettes. Leaf sheaths densely imbricate, and compacted into a pseudostem. Leaf lamina (10)-15-45-(70) × (1.5)-3.5-6-(7.5) cm, somewhat flaccid, errect but tending to spread, lanceolate to narrow-elliptic; upper surface concolorous, bright to dark green, veins obvious; lower surface glabrous, glaucous green; tip acute; margins entire, often slightly recurved; base cuneate; petiole short, to 1/3 length of lamina, usually deep purple, glabrous or with scattered whitish hairs. Scape purple, up to 65 cm long; bracts numerous, erect, subulate, somewhat leafy; monocephalous. Capitula up to 5 cm diam. Phyllaries in several series, subulate, erect, glabrous. Ray florets 60-70, ligulate, the limb more or less linear, creamy white often tinged violet when capitulum first open. Disc florets c. 200, funneliform, yellow; tube with eglandular biseriate hairs. Achene fusiform-cylindric, strongly ribbed, c. 5 mm long, glabrous. Pappus unequal, c. 7 mm long, of 55-60 bristles, n = 54.

[Reproduced from Given (1984, New Zealand J. Bot. 22: 139-158) with permission from The Royal Society of New Zealand.]

 Biostatus
Indigenous (Endemic)
 Bibliography
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]
Given, D. R. 1984: A taxonomic revision of Celmisia subgenus Pelliculatae section Petiolatae (Compositae -- Astereae). New Zealand Journal of Botany 22: 139–158.
Raoul, E. 1846: Choix de plantes de la Nouvelle-Zélande: recueillies et décrites. Fortin Masson, Paris.