Flora of New Zealand Series

native dandelion

Perennial rosette herb. Lvs all basal, linear to oblong or linear- oblanceolate, simple, usually dentate, sometimes runcinate-pinnatifid, glabrous or with sparse multicellular hairs, especially above, (3)-5-15-(30) × (0.7)-1-1.5-(4.5) cm; terminal lobe narrowly deltoid to oblong, obtuse, truncate at base; lateral lobes triangular, deflexed or recurved, entire or toothed on distal margin; petiole and proximal part of midrib hollow. Scape stout, hollow, usually sparsely cobwebby above, sometimes glabrous, (2)-5-20-(30) cm tall. Capitula 1.5-3-(4) cm diam. Involucral bracts glabrous; outer bracts lanceolate to ovate, ± attenuate, green or reddish, erect at flowering, suberect to patent at fruiting, with scarious margins; inner bracts narrowly triangular to linear, acute, green, erect, with scarious margins. Florets usually golden yellow, rarely paler. Achene body usually orange-brown to dull greenish brown, rarely cream, ribbed, clavate-fusiform, 2.5-4 mm long; ribs each with (3)-5-7 teeth on distal ⅓-⅔, the distal teeth slightly > the proximal; cone tapering or narrowly cylindric, (0.5)-1-2 mm long, concolorous with the body. Beak usually pale, sometimes dark, slender, 4.5-8 mm long. Pappus white, 4-7 mm long.

N.: Tongariro National Park, Kaweka Range, Kaimanawa Range, Ruahine Range, Tararua Range; S.: throughout; St.: N.W. coast; Ch., Ant., A., C.

Also indigenous to S. America.

Mostly montane to alpine tussock grassland, herbfield, wet places, riverbeds and screes, sometimes lowland grassland, forest margins, and dunes.

FL (Nov)-Dec-Feb FT Dec-Mar-(Apr).

T. magellanicum shows considerable geographic variation. Three entities are apparent. These should be critically compared with native Australian material.

(1) Over most of its range throughout North and South Is (except lowland S. Canterbury), Ant., A., and C., T. magellanicum has lvs which vary in depth of lobing but are not often deeply pinnatifid. The achenes usually have a short tapering cone 0.5-1 mm long. Such plants occur mostly in damp montane to alpine grassland and herbfield. These plants closely match published descriptions and specimens of T. magellanicum from S. America and also descriptions of T. zelandicum Dahlst. from N.Z.

It is possible that 2 cytological races occur within this entity as Beuzenberg, E. J. and Hair, J. B., New Zealand J. Bot. 22 : 356 (1984), listed 2 n = 16 for a plant from Arthurs Pass and 2 n = 24 for a plant from Lake Pukaki. No vouchers were cited however.

(2) In lowland S. Canterbury and Ch., plants of T. magellanicum have deeply pinnatifid lvs with lobes toothed on their curved distal margins. Their achene cones are narrowly cylindric and 1.5-2 mm long. These plants occur in lowland grassland, river terraces, forest remnants, and damp coastal sites. Similar plants occur in the Kaimanawa Range.

(3) On St., plants usually have simple, toothed lvs, sometimes deeply lobed, and narrowly cylindric achene cones c. 2 mm long. Their achenes are very pale and their florets are pale yellow. They occur in coastal sand dunes.