Flora of New Zealand Series

rayless daisy

Perennial rosette herb with simple, short, non-creeping rhizomes. Basal lvs apetiolate, obovate to oblong-obovate, cuneate, obtuse, crenate with 1-6 pairs of teeth often confined to distal 1/2, rarely ± entire, moderately pilose on both surfaces, 20-40-(80) × 8-20-(25) mm. Peduncle pilose, < 1 cm long at flowering, elongating to up to 6-(9) cm long at fruiting, with 1 triangular scale-like lf. Capitula c. 2 mm diam. at anthesis. Involucral bracts ovate to elliptic-oblong, glabrous or sparsely hairy, erect at fruiting and often tinged purple, 2-3 mm long. Corolla of ♀ florets white, that of ♂ florets green, later tinged purple. Achenes glabrous, c. 2-2.5 mm long.

N.: Waikowhai (Auckland City), and Wellington Province from Waikanae to Wellington City; S.: Lee Valley and Motueka (Nelson), Banks Peninsula.

S.E. Australia, Tasmania 1880

Mostly pasture and lawns, also coastal cliffs and dunes, locally common.

FL Nov-Mar.

Until Drury's treatment (1974, op. cit.), S. dominii was not distinguished from S. gunnii; all collections before 1940 are in fact referable to S. gunnii sens. strict. This sp. has previously been recorded in N.Z. as Lagenifera gunnii, L. emphysopus, L. bellidioides, and S. bellidioides.