Flora of New Zealand Series

broad-leaved fleabane

Erect annual or biennial herb, up to 2-(2.5) m tall. Stems ridged, moderately to densely softly hairy, often becoming sparsely hairy below. Cauline lvs usually obovate to narrow-oblanceolate, rarely linear, ± flat, apetiolate and cuneate, acute, often shallowly 1-pinnatifid or remotely serrate, sometimes entire especially above, sparsely to densely scaberulous, ciliate, (20)-35-120-(250) × 4-20-(45) mm; uppermost lvs smaller, usually narrow-oblanceolate or narrow-elliptic. Infl. a leafy pyramidal panicle with dominant main axis. Capitula 1.5-2 mm diam.; receptacle usually with distinct flanges between pits, sometimes with short flanges or ± smooth. Inner involucral bracts lanceolate, green, usually hairy at least toward apex, 4-5.5-(6) mm long; outer bracts moderately to densely hairy. Outer florets filiform, cream, usually becoming reddish. Achenes obovoid, sparsely hairy, 1-1.2-(1.4) mm long; pappus hairs fawn or dirty white.

N.; S.: Nelson, Marlborough, S. Westland, Banks Peninsula and vicinity of Christchurch; St.; Ch.

Subtropical S. America 1957

Mostly waste places, also other disturbed sites, coastal areas, forest margins and pasture.

FL Jan-May-(Dec).

C. albida often grows with C. bonariensis and very rarely hybrids are found; these are intermediate in most characters. C. albida is easily distinguished from C. bonariensis by its later flowering time, larger size, broader, more-toothed, flat lvs, pyramidal infl., broader infl. lvs, smaller capitula, green bracts and smaller seeds. In spite of these differences the 2 spp. were confused in N.Z. until 1957 (see, Healy, A. J., Trans. Roy. Soc. N.Z. 84 : 652) and both had been recorded under the names Erigeron bonariensis, E. crispus, E. linifolius and C. ambigua. The first record may in fact be as early as 1864. The plant treated here as C. albida was referred by Healy to Erigeron floribundus (also recorded as C. floribunda). However, Michael (op. cit.) followed the treatment of Guédès, M. and Jouet, P., Taxon 24 : 393-394 (1975), recognising 2 entities within what is commonly called C. floribunda, only one of which (C. albida) is naturalised in Australia and N.Z. Many early N.Z. collections labelled E. canadensis are referable to C. albida.