| Brachyglottis huntii | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Asterales |
| Family: | Asteraceae |
| Genus: | Brachyglottis |
| Species: | B. huntii |
| Binomial name | |
| Brachyglottis huntii | |
| Synonyms [3] | |
Senecio huntiiF. Muell. | |
Brachyglottis huntii, commonly called rautini or Chatham Island Christmas tree, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is found only on the Chatham Islands in New Zealand.
Brachyglottis huntii grows up to 8 meters tall in height, with leaves that grow up to 12 centimetres long. It is covered in down-like hairs which give an overall silvery hue. Coming into flower in the summer season, from November to February, it produces distinctive bright yellow flowers. Seeds are produced during the autumn season. [4]
Brachyglottis huntii has grey bark which flakes off in small shards when disturbed. Leaves are finely toothed in the upper third section. Branches are short, stout and spreading, and often bear multiple leaf scars. Leaves are aromatic and initially are covered in short matted hairs on both sides before becoming relatively hairless with age. [5]
It contains the pyrrolizidine alkaloids senkirkine and retrorsine, which are both acutely toxic when consumed orally. [6]
Distribution is restricted on Chatham Island in the past century due to grazing threats and habitat destruction. On Pitt Island, it is more widely spread due to lower numbers of grazing or feral stock animals.
Brachyglottis huntii prefers disturbed regions, or those in the early successional ecological stages. These areas include along streams and riversides, drier swamps, open shrublands and along open ridges. This species is unable to cope with prolonged periods of drought or heavily shaded areas. [5]
Brachyglottis huntii is palatable to stock animals in younger forms, and considerable damage has been noted from both browsing and trampling. Habitat destruction also poses a considerable threat to the range of this species. [4] Recently, cases have been noted of the collapse of healthy trees. Soil borne pathogens such as phytophora and verticillium wilt have been implicated, with future research being needed. [5]
Senecio is a genus of flowering plants in the daisy family (Asteraceae) that includes ragworts and groundsels.
Jacobaea vulgaris, syn. Senecio jacobaea, is a very common wild flower in the family Asteraceae that is native to northern Eurasia, usually in dry, open places, and has also been widely distributed as a weed elsewhere.
Senecio vulgaris, often known by the common names groundsel and old-man-in-the-spring, is a flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is an annual herb, native to the Palaearctic and widely naturalised as a ruderal species in suitable disturbed habitats worldwide.
Ageratum houstonianum, commonly known as flossflower, bluemink, goatweed, blueweed, pussy foot or Mexican paintbrush, is a cool-season annual plant often grown as bedding in gardens.
The flora of the Chatham Islands consists of around 388 terrestrial plant species, of which 47 are endemic. The Chatham Islands make up the Chatham floristic province of the Neozeylandic Region of the Antarctic Kingdom.
The Chatham Islands parakeet, also known as Forbes' parakeet, is a rare parakeet endemic to the Chatham Islands group, New Zealand. This parakeet is one of New Zealand's rarest birds and is classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, as a result of a range of threats to the species survival, including habitat loss, predation, and hybridization. A number of conservation methods have been employed to assist the recovery of this species, and currently the population trend is considered stable.
Metrosideros bartlettii, commonly known as the Bartlett's rātā, is a rare tree endemic to only a few parts of the Northland Region in New Zealand's North Island. It is one of twelve Metrosideros species in the family Myrtaceae. The Bartlett's rātā was first discovered in 1975 by New Zealand botanist and schoolteacher, John Bartlett. There are three known patches of dense native forest near Piwhane / Spirits Bay that contain Bartlett's rātā: Radar Bush, Kohuronaki Bush, and Unuwhao Bush. Bartlett's rātā has a high chance of becoming extinct unless immediate conservation measures are taken, due to its ongoing decline. A 2021 study in the New Zealand Journal of Botany reported only 13 adult trees are known to exist in the wild. Bartlett's rātā is common in cultivation, with it being found in several private and botanic gardens throughout New Zealand. Its current conservation status was assessed by the IUCN Red List in 2013 as "Critically Endangered" and its population trend was assessed as "Decreasing".
Brachyglottis arborescens, the Three Kings rangiora, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is endemic to New Zealand, where it is known only from the Three Kings Islands.
Olearia hectorii is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family Asteraceae. Its common names include deciduous tree daisy and Hector's tree daisy. It is endemic to New Zealand, where it is nationally endangered.
Olearia traversiorum, the Chatham Island akeake, or Chatham Island tree daisy, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is endemic to the Chatham Islands of New Zealand. It is also known by the synonym O. traversii.
Senecio flaccidus, formerly recorded as Senecio douglasii, member of the daisy family and genus Senecio also known as threadleaf ragwort, is a native of the southwestern Great Plains of North America.
Echium pininana, commonly known as the tree echium, pine echium, giant viper's-bugloss, or tower of jewels, is a species of flowering plant in the borage family Boraginaceae. It is endemic to the Canary Islands, where it is restricted to the island of La Palma. Echium pininana is an endangered species, and is listed in Appendix I to, and is therefore protected under, the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats. The specific epithet pininana is Latin for "small pine", though E. pininana is neither closely related to the pine, nor does it resemble that plant.
Brachyglottis bidwillii is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is endemic to New Zealand.
Brachyglottis elaeagnifolia is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is endemic to New Zealand, where it is mostly limited to the North Island.
Dracophyllum arboreum, commonly known as Chatham Island grass tree and tarahinau (Moriori), is a species of tree in the heath family Ericaceae. Endemic to the Chatham Islands of New Zealand, it reaches a height of 18 m (60 ft) and has leaves that differ between the juvenile and adult forms.
Brachyglottis sciadophila, commonly known as climbing groundsel, is a flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It has long stems with small green leaves and bright yellow flowers. It is the only climbing daisy which has yellow flowers that is endemic to New Zealand.
Senecio gregorii, commonly known as annual yellowtop or fleshy groundsel, is a native Australian wildflower species, found in arid and semi-arid regions of the Australia and across the globe. It often grows prolifically after autumn/winter rains, showcasing stunning yellow flowers and fleshy foliage. The scientific name of this species was first published by Ferdinand von Mueller.
Helichrysum lanceolatum, commonly known as niniao, is a species of plant endemic to New Zealand.
Although over 650 km (400 mi) from the main islands, the flora of the Chatham Islands is largely similar to the rest of New Zealand. About 400 of the 875 taxa attested in the Chatham Islands are indigenous to them; of these, only 47 are endemic to the islands. The endemic plants of the islands are divided between taxa related to those on the North Island and those with stronger links to the South Island and the subantarctic islands of New Zealand. The flora of the islands was described from samples in the mid-1800s by botanists Joseph Hooker and Ferdinand von Mueller, neither of whom ever visited the islands, while Leonard Cockayne provided the first comprehensive flora of the islands in the early 1900s. The islands have become highly noted for their flora and fauna, attracting ecotourists. One endemic, the Chatham Islands forget-me-not, has become a botanical symbol of the islands due to its widespread cultivation in and outside New Zealand.
