Flora of New Zealand Series

Herbaceous perennial, forming clonal clumps, glabrate to pilose throughout; stems erect, 15-80 cm high. Lvs narrowly obovate to oblanceolate, (3.5)-8-15-(22) cm long, imparipinnate; leaflets in 8-13 pairs, ± sessile, ovate to oblong, up to 15-(25) mm long, pilose to glabrate above and densely pilose below; teeth serrate, up to 15-(18), 1/2-3/4 to midrib. Infl. spicate, branched or not, interrupted at fruiting. Sepals 5, 1-2.5 mm long, sparsely pilose. Stamens 3-7; anthers purple. Styles 1-(2), white. Fr. 20-70, ovoid, c. 3 × 2 mm, scarcely ridged, glabrous or pilose; spines 12-55, over whole surface, ± equal and lacking a thickened conic base, 1-2-(3) mm long, red, barbed at tip.

FL Oct-Feb FT Dec-Mar.

A. agnipila was known as A. ovina until the A. ovina complex in N.Z. was revised by Orchard (1973, op. cit.). Three vars occur in N.Z.

The sp. is illustrated in Fig. 97. Hybrids between A. agnipila and A. novae-zelandiae or A. anserinifolia have been known since 1870 [Buchanan, J., Trans. Proc. N.Z. Inst. 3 (1871)]. They are intermediate between the parents in habit and infl. shape, with a club-shaped terminal head and a number of fls lower on the stalk. The anthers are red and the styles white. The fr. are usually smaller than either of the parents and sterile. The distribution of the spines on the fr. is also intermediate. Orchard (1969, op. cit.) provided the name A. × anserovina to include hybrids between members of the A. ovina complex and A. novae-zelandiae or A. anserinifolia. Field evidence in N.Z. shows that A. agnipila var. aequispina is the most likely element of the A. ovina complex involved, although the fr. of the hybrids is pilose as in  var. tenuispica.

Fig. 97. Acaena agnipila. © All rights reserved. [Image: 4X6R]