Aciphylla J.R.Forst. & G.Forst.
Fls mostly unisexual, plants mostly dioec.; infl. of compound bracted umbels arranged along an elongate extension of the central stem (Elongatae) or on spreading peduncles at apex of stem (Paniculatae). Umbels of male plants us. laxer than those of females. Calyx-teeth minute to obsolete; petals white to yellowish, incurved, small; stylopodia of ♂ depressed, of ♀ erect. Fr. narrow-oblong in outline; mericarp ribs 5-4-3, winged; vittae 1-3 per furrow, 2-5 commissural. Glab. very small to very large perennial herbs with stout, often multicipital stocks and slender to very stout, deeply descending taproots; rarely rhizomatous. Lvs us. all basal, mostly compound, with close-set imbricated sheaths (dead sheaths often long remaining as an investiture). Lamina petiolate or not, us. pinnate to decompound; lflts mostly rigid and pungent-pointed. Some 39 described spp. of N.Z. and at least 1 of Australia.
SYNOPSIS
- A. Section PANICULATAE:
- Infl. of compound umbels on approximate spreading peduncles, the whole forming a ± globose to broad-oblong panicle-like mass.
- (a)
- Stipules absent, lf simple:
- simplex
- (b)
- Stipules lflike, ± = lvs:
- congesta,crosby-smithii,dobsonii,leighii,spedenii
- (c)
- Stipules reduced to short acicular processes:
- dissecta,divisa,monroi,multisecta,polita,similes
- B. Section ELONGATAE:
- Stem extending into an elongate axis bearing ± distant compound umbels on ± ascending peduncles; the whole forming a ± raceme-like infl.
- (a)
- Stipules lflike, ± = lvs
- 1.
- Stipules and lvs pinnatisect, with ∞ spreading pinnae:
- pinnatifida
- 2.
- Stipules and lvs pinnately divided, with ascending pinnae:
- hectori,kirkii,flexuosa,traillii,verticillata
- (b)
- Stipules reduced to short acicular processes; plants of small to medium size; axis us. slender
- 1.
- Lvs 1-pinnate:
- anomala,crenulata,gracilis,lyallii,townsonii,trifoliolata
- 2.
- Lvs 2-3-pinnate:
- hookeri,indurata
- (c)
- Stipules reduced to short acicular processes or occ. lflike; infl. massive, plants large
- 1.
- Lvs 1-pinnate:
- ferox,horrida,latibracteata,traversii,colensoi
- 2.
- Lvs 2-pinnate:
- inermis,subflabellata,takahea,aurea,scott-thomsonii
- 3.
- Lvs 3-pinnate:
- glaucescens,intermedia,squarrosa
Key
33. A. travsersii of Chatham Is has not been keyed.
In general flowering commences about November, continuing till February; fr. ripens early, but may persist till June. The larger spp. are often referred to under the names taramea, speargrass, spaniard. Early explorers frequently refer to the extensive, difficult to penetrate thickets met with. Such areas still occur, but have mostly been reduced by fire and animal attack. Even such a formidable sp. as A. squarrosa may be eaten down to a low cushion by rabbits (I have several times seen one or more at work in the evening).
The morphology of the vegetative parts deserves much closer study from the seedling stages onwards. In most spp. the lf-sheath is produced into a lateral pair of lflike or reduced, simple to compound processes ("stipules"). Sts the stipules are apical to a prolongation of the sheath ("ligules"), sts one or both stipules may be vestigial or completely absent. The lvs may be simple (one or more) and sessile, to variously pinnate, with occ. development of accessory pinnules. The "petiole" may be distinct, consisting of a narrowly winged midrib, or absent. The similar intervals between pinnae-pairs are referred to as "internodes".
The ELONGATAE occur mainly in coastal to montane areas in grassland, and often on rocky places, and include the larger spp.; the PANICULATAE mainly in higher montane to subalpine grassland, herbfield, fellfield and rocky places. The genus exhibits much plasticity in many organs, and no really satisfactory treatment can be made till much further work has been done. Oliver (T.R.S.N.Z. 84, 1956, 1-18) after several years of intensive study has provided a revision that has been largely followed in the present account.
