| Red bidibid | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Rosales |
| Family: | Rosaceae |
| Genus: | Acaena |
| Species: | A. novae-zelandiae |
| Binomial name | |
| Acaena novae-zelandiae | |
Acaena novae-zelandiae, commonly known as red bidibid, [1] bidgee widgee, [2] buzzy [3] and piri-piri bur, [4] is a small herbaceous, prostrate perennial, native to New Zealand, Australia and New Guinea, [5] of the family Rosaceae. [1]
Acaena novae-zelandiae is a small herbaceous perennial. It is stoloniferous with prostrate stems of 1.5 – 2 mm diameter. [5] Damage to stolons encourages new shoots to be produced. [6]
It has imparipinnate leaves, with 9–15 toothed, oblong leaflets, which are approximately 2 –11 cm long. [5] The adaxial surface of the leaves is dark green and shiny, and the abaxial surface is hairy and glaucous green in colouration. [2] [5] [7] The rachis of the leaves is often red. [5]
The scape is 10 – 15 cm long [5] and bears a globular, terminal inflorescence, of 20 – 25 mm diameter, [2] with 70 – 100 flowers. [5] [7] The flowers lack petals and can range in colour from green to white or purple. [8] The flowers are wind pollinated. [6]
Each flower produces one achene, bearing four approximately 10 mm long spines, [2] tipped with barbs, [2] [5] [7] which aid dispersal by attaching to wool, feathers and various clothing materials. [9] When the fruit are ripe, these spines are red in colouration, later becoming brown.
Acaena novae-zelandiae was first formally described in 1871 by Thomas Kirk who published the description in Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. [10] [11] The genus name (Acaena) is derived from the Ancient Greek word akaina meaning "thorn" or "spine", [12] referring to the spiny calyx of many species of Acaena. The specific epithet (novae-zelandiae) refers to New Zealand. [1]
Red bidibid is native to New Zealand, Australia and New Guinea. It has also become naturalised in California, Great Britain and Ireland. [5] It is regarded as invasive in Great Britain where it has established itself in places such as dune habitats on Lindisfarne. [13] [14]
It occurs within a wide range of habitats, including woodlands, shrublands and grasslands, from coastal areas to alpine areas. [2] [7] It grows in freely draining soils such as silty and sandy loams, typically on sites which receive a high amount of sunlight. [7]
It also establishes readily on disturbed sites such as roadsides. [9]
Acaena novae-zelandiae may be used for ground cover in gardens or as a lawn substitute. This plant can be prevented from spreading by limiting disturbance to stolons, thus reducing vegetative propagation, [6] and by mowing flowers before the burrs form. [15]
It has also been suggested that dried "tiny tips" [16] of young succulent leaves may be brewed as tea. [15] [16] [17] [18]
The Atherospermataceae, commonly known as the southern sassafrases, are a family of broadleaf evergreen trees and shrubs. The family includes 14 species in seven genera. The atherosperms are today mostly distributed in the Southern Hemisphere, with two species native to southern Chile and 12 species native to Australasia. Wood is commercially harvested from rainforest species of this family, and is used both in construction and in fine cabinet making.
Acaena is a genus of about 60 species of mainly evergreen, creeping herbaceous perennial plants and subshrubs in the family Rosaceae, native mainly to the Southern Hemisphere, notably New Zealand, Australia and South America, but with a few species extending into the Northern Hemisphere, north to Hawaii and California.
There are a number of Australian species that have become invasive when introduced into outside Australia or outside Oceania.
Laurelia novae-zelandiae, also called pukatea, is a large evergreen tree, endemic to the forests of New Zealand. Pukatea has 'toothed' leaves and produces small flowers. It is a species in the Atherospermataceae family, typical representative of laurel forest ecoregion.
Donatia novae-zelandiae is a species of mat-forming cushion plant, found only in New Zealand and Tasmania. Common names can include New Zealand Cushion or Snow Cushion, however Snow Cushion also refers to Iberis sempervirens. Donatia novae-zelandiae forms dense spirals of thick, leathery leaves, creating a hardy plant that typically exists in alpine and subalpine bioclimatic zones.
Pomaderris paniculosa, commonly known as scurfy pomaderris, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is native to Australia and New Zealand. It is a shrub with hairy branchlets, round to elliptic or egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base and panicles of hairy, cream-coloured to greenish, sometimes crimson-tinged flowers.
The Black Andrew Nature Reserve is a protected nature reserve located on the south west slopes of New South Wales, Australia. The 1,559-hectare (3,850-acre) reserve is situated on the southern shore of Burrinjuck Dam on the Murrumbidgee River, an important reservoir for the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area.
Some species endemic to New Zealand are causing problems in other countries, similar to the way introduced species in New Zealand cause problems for agriculture and indigenous biodiversity.
Acaena caesiiglauca is a species of Acaena. Aceana caesiiglauca grow to a height of 2–4 inches and a spread of about 2 ft. The flowers consist of reddish burrs and its foliage is described as a silky bluish grey.
Montigena is a genus of flowering plant in the legume family Fabaceae. It includes the sole species Montigena novae-zelandiae, known more commonly the scree pea, a dicotyledonous herb endemic to the South Island of New Zealand. The plant is small and woody, arising from thin, branched stems that extend to the surface from a deeply buried root stock. The flowers vary from purple to brown, while fruits appear between January and April.
Caltha novae-zelandiae, commonly known as New Zealand marsh marigold or yellow caltha, is a small, perennial herbaceous plant belonging to the family Ranunculaceae, that grows in open vegetations in mountainous areas, and is endemic to New Zealand.
Pterostylis foliata, commonly known as the slender greenhood, is a species of orchid widespread in south-eastern Australia and New Zealand. Flowering plants have a rosette of three to six, dark green, crinkled leaves crowded around the flowering stem and a single dark green and brown flower with a deep V-shaped sinus between the lateral sepals.
Pterostylis micromega, commonly known as the swamp greenhood, is a species of greenhood orchid endemic to New Zealand. Both flowering and non-flowering plants have a rosette of leaves while flowering plants also have a single, relatively large whitish flower with a pointed dorsal sepal. The flower colour and pointed dorsal sepal are unique in New Zealand Pterostylis.
Pterostylis puberula, commonly known as the dwarf greenhood or snail greenhood is a species of orchid which is endemic to New Zealand. It has a rosette of pale yellowish, stalked leaves and a single silvery-white and green flower with relatively long, erect lateral sepals.
Carmichaelia juncea, the braided riverbed broom, is a species of New Zealand broom, a prostrate shrub in the family Fabaceae that is endemic to New Zealand. It is extinct over much of its former range, including the North Island.
Acaena microphylla, the bidibid or piripiri, and outside New Zealand, New Zealand-bur, is a small herbaceous, prostrate perennial flowering plant in the rose family Rosaceae, native to both the North and South Islands of New Zealand. There are two varieties:
Actinotus novae-zelandiae is a plant in the Apiaceae family, native to the South Island of New Zealand.
Leucopogon fraseri is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is native to south-eastern continental Australia and New Zealand, where it is known as Styphelia nesophila, pātōtara, or dwarf mingimingi. It is a prickly, prostrate to trailing or low-growing shrub with egg-shaped leaves, and erect, tube-shaped white flowers usually arranged singly in leaf axils.
Dictyotus caenosus, commonly known as the brown shield bug, is an Australian species of stink bug that has been introduced into New Zealand and New Caledonia.
Goodenia pumilio is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and is native to northern Australia and New Guinea. It is a prostrate, stolon-forming herb with egg-shaped to lance-shaped leaves in rosettes, and racemes of small, dark reddish-purple flowers.
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