Aciphylla dieffenbachii
Species of plant
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Aciphylla dieffenbachii, also called soft speargrass or Dieffenbach's speargrass, is a species of soft speargrass endemic to the Chatham Islands.
| Aciphylla dieffenbachii | |
|---|---|
| |
| Aciphylla dieffenbachii in the Christchurch Botanic Gardens | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Apiales |
| Family: | Apiaceae |
| Genus: | Aciphylla |
| Species: | A. dieffenbachii |
| Binomial name | |
| Aciphylla dieffenbachii | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
Description
It is a small perennial with clusters of soft and drooping leaves that divide into blue-green leaflets up to 0.7 m (2 ft 4 in) long.[2][3] It produces a striking upright flowering stem up to 1 m (3 ft 3 in) tall.[4] From November to February it produces yellow flowers, and from January to June it produces a golden-yellow fruit that turns a light brown-grey when mature.[3] It has a robust and deep taproot.[4] If damaged, it will bleed a sticky white latex fluid.[3]
Distribution
It is endemic to the Chatham Islands.[2] Within the Chathams, it has been found on the Chatham, Pitt, Mangere, Little Mangere, and South East (Rangatira) islands, along with some of the Murumuru stacks and islets.[3] It is found solely in coastal areas.[2]
It has also been cultivated, and can be found in gardens on mainland New Zealand.[5]
Taxonomy
Aciphylla dieffenbachii is named after Johann Karl Ernest Dieffenbach, a German physician, geologist and naturalist. Dieffenbach worked for the New Zealand Company and travelled widely across the country.[2]
Conservation status
As of 2023, it was classified as At Risk – Declining.[3]
