Flora of New Zealand Series

Perennial. Stems trailing or decumbent, up to 1 m long, with dense appressed white tomentum. Lvs entire and toothed or lyrate-pinnatifid, densely silvery white-tomentose, petiolate, (3)-6-15 × 1-3.5 cm; terminal lobe ovate; lateral lobes oblong, alternate. Capitula solitary on long erect peduncles. Involucre 2-3 cm diam. Involucral bracts in 5 series, brownish, scarious, woody at base; outermost bracts narrowed into a tomentose linear appendage (1)-3-7 mm long; inner bracts oblong or obovate, tomentose in centre, scarious on margins. Ligules c. 3 cm long, cream, yellow, orange, brick-red or purple. Disc florets dark purplish. Achenes broadly obconic, with 2 furrows on 1 side, 2.5-4 mm long, densely villous with white to yellowish hairs. Pappus scales brown, scarious, oblong, up to 6 × 1.5 mm.

N.: Northland (Lake Kaiiwi, Lake Rototuna), Wellington (Days Bay); S.: Nelson, Canterbury (Christchurch).

South Africa 1984

Road cuttings, roadsides, steep banks. Garden discard, persisting in scattered localities.

A. stoechadifolia is often cultivated in gardens for its attractive silvery foliage and large bright heads, often under the name A. acaulis.