Phyllachne colensoi

Phyllachne colensoi, the yellow cushionplant, is a species of cushion plant in the Stylidiaceae family. It is native to both New Zealand and Tasmania, with colonisation of the latter being a somewhat recent dispersal. Phyllachne colensoi is frequently the dominant vegetation in upland bog habitats and is found throughout high mountain areas in New Zealand, but is only recorded from 12 sites in Tasmania in the west and south-west of the island.[1][2][3]

Phyllachne colensoi
Phyllachne colensoi illustration from Johannes Mildbraed's 1908 monograph on the Stylidiaceae.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Stylidiaceae
Genus: Phyllachne
Species:
P. colensoi
Binomial name
Phyllachne colensoi
Synonyms
  • Helophyllum colensoi Hook.f.

Phyllachne colensoi is a perennial cushion mound-forming plant with short erect stems that are densely packed. Leaves are sessile and small at only 2–3 mm long. Solitary flowers are white and held close to the cushion mound, with flowers and fruits being produced from December to March.[3]

Phyllachne colensoi was first described as Helophyllum colensoi by Joseph Dalton Hooker in 1864 and then moved to the genus Phyllachne by Sven Berggren in 1877.[3]

References
  1. Wagstaff, S.J. and Wege, J. (2002). Patterns of diversification in New Zealand Stylidiaceae. American Journal of Botany, 89(5): 865-874.
  2. Good, R. (1925). On the geographical distribution of the Stylidiaceae. New Phytologist, 24(4): 225-240.
  3. Gray, A. M. (2009). 127 Stylidiaceae, version 2009:2. In M. F. Duretto (Ed.) Flora of Tasmania Online. 9 pp. (Tasmanian Herbarium, Tasmanian Museum & Art Gallery: Hobart).


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