Acaena novae-zelandiae
Kirk Bidgee-widgeeProstrate or procumbent, stoloniferous perennial herb; stems to 1.5 cm long, sparsely to densely hairy. Leaves 7–11-foliolate, ovate in outline, 2–11 cm long; leaflets more or less oblong, the largest 8–20 mm long, 5–10 mm wide, margins toothed, recurved, upper surface shiny green and glabrous or sparsely hairy, lower surface glaucous and sparsely to densely pilose on veins and margins; rhachis often red; stipules entire to 5-lobed, free portion 5–10 mm long. Inflorescence globose, 4–15 mm diam.; peduncles pubescent, 3–12 cm long, elongating to 20 cm in fruit; sepals 4; stamens 2, creamy-white; style 1, white. Fruiting head globose, 20–25(–40) mm diam.; fruiting hypanthia obconical, 4–6 mm long, 4-ribbed, villous; spines 4, 6–12 mm long, red, occasionally with stunted secondary spines. Flowers and fruits Sep.–Apr.
Wim, GleP, Brid, VVP, VRiv, MuF, GipP, OtP, WaP, Gold, CVU, GGr, DunT, NIS, EGL, EGU, WPro, HSF, HNF, OtR, Strz, MonT, HFE, VAlp. Also WA (naturalised), SA, Qld, NSW, ACT, Tas. Except for the far north-west, wide-spread throughout Victoria, from grasslands to montane forests and alpine meadows.
Acaena pallida (Kirk) Allan, described from coastal habitats in New Zealand, differs from A. novae-zelandiae in being larger overall (terminal leaflet 12–20 mm long, flowering heads 10–12 mm diam., fruiting heads 25–30(–40) mm diam., achenes c. 6 mm long) and in having 1 or 2 short, unbarbed spines below the 4 barbed, terminal spines. Acaena pallida has recently been reported from Tasmania and New South Wales and could be expected to occur in Victoria (Macmillan 1991). Several Victorian specimens from coastal and non-coastal localities (e.g. Mallacoota, Corner Inlet, Lang Lang, Beaumaris, Warrnambool, Portland, Barmah Forest) exhibit characteristics of A. pallida in various combinations but not necessarily all as outlined above. Pending a critical appraisal of the characters used to distinguish A. pallida, all simply globose-headed specimens of Acaena in Victoria are retained within A. novae-zelandiae.
Jeanes, J.A.; Jobson, P.C. (1996). Rosaceae. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J., Flora of Victoria Vol. 3, Dicotyledons Winteraceae to Myrtaceae, pp. 556–585. Inkata Press, Melbourne.
SpinningMacMillan, B.H. (1991). Acaena pallida (Kirk) Allan (Rosaceae) in Tasmania and New South Wales, Australia. In: Banks, M.R.; Smith, S.J.; Orchard, A.E.; Kantvilas, G., Aspects of Tasmanian Botany, pp. –. Royal Society of Tasmania, Hobart.
