''Achnophora'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of flowering plants in the family

Asteraceae Asteraceae () is a large family (biology), family of flowering plants that consists of over 32,000 known species in over 1,900 genera within the Order (biology), order Asterales. The number of species in Asteraceae is rivaled only by the Orchi ...

described as a genus in 1883. The only known species is ''Achnophora tatei''. This is a rare

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

found only on

Kangaroo Island Kangaroo Island (, ) is Australia's third-largest island, after Tasmania and Melville Island, Northern Territory, Melville Island. It lies in the state of South Australia, southwest of Adelaide. Its closest point to the mainland is Snapper Poi ...

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...

.The Plant List ''Achnophora tatei'' F.Muell.
/ref>

Description

Morphology

Roots

The

rhizome In botany and dendrology, a rhizome ( ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and Shoot (botany), shoots from its Node (botany), nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from ...

of ''A. tatei'' is described as thick, hairless and vertical with bundles of short thick rootlets attached.

Leaves

''Achnophora tatei'' leaves are in a rosette form at the base of the plant, with a long narrow leaf shape (linear) and sheath at the base of the leaf.

Flowers

''Achnophora tatei'' flowers take the form of a scape (single flowering stem arising from the rhizome). The flower stems are red, thread-like, almost naked and about as long as the leaves. Flowers are one-headed, have a rosette of bracts (small leaf like structures) surrounding the flower (

involucre In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves in size, color, shape or texture. They also look ...

) which are close to hemispheric (i.e. half of a sphere). The bracts of the flower are generally arranged in three rows of unequal length, with similar grades of size, and range in shape with the bract being egg-shaped with broader end at base (

ovate Ovate may refer to: * Ovate (egg-shaped) leaves, tepals, or other botanical parts *Ovate, a type of prehistoric stone hand axe * Ovates, one of three ranks of membership in the Welsh Gorsedd * Vates or ovate, a term for ancient Celtic bards ...

) to the bract being egg-shaped with the narrow end at base (

obovate The following terms are used to describe leaf morphology in the description and taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (that is, the leaf blade or 'lamina' is undivided) or compound (that is, the leaf blade is divided into two or more leaflets) ...

). The bracts are 4 to 5 millimetres long and have dry and membranous margins. The receptacle or

floral axis The floral axis (sometimes referred to as the receptacle) is the area of the flower upon which the reproductive organs and other ancillary organs are attached. It is also the point at the center of a floral diagram. Many flowers in division Angios ...

has conspicuous oblong (having a length greater than width) scales between the flowers. The ray-flowers are female in 1 row, with about 25

ligules A ligule (from "strap", variant of ''lingula'', from ''lingua'' "tongue") is a thin outgrowth at the junction of leaf and leafstalk of many Poaceae, grasses (family Poaceae) and Cyperaceae, sedges (family Cyperaceae). A ligule is also a strap-shap ...

which are narrow, blue and are an estimated 10 millimetres long. Disc-flowers are tubular, with the style-branches being slender (capillary).

Anthers The stamen (: stamina or stamens) is a part consisting of the male reproductive organs of a flower. Collectively, the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filamen ...

(pollen bearing structure which is part of the

stamen The stamen (: stamina or stamens) is a part consisting of the male reproductive organs of a flower. Collectively, the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filament ...

) are blunt and rounded (obtuse) at the base.

Taxonomy

Etymology

''Achnophora tatei'' is commonly known as the Kangaroo Island daisy. The genus name ''Achnophora'' is derived from the Greek word 'achne' which means chaff and 'phoros' meaning bearing. This refers to the clearly visible scales of the receptacle and pappus. Tatei is named after

Ralph Tate Ralph Tate (11 March 1840 – 20 September 1901) was a British-born botanist and geologist, who was later active in Australia. Early life Tate was born at Alnwick in Northumberland, the son of Thomas Turner Tate (1807–1888), a teacher of math ...

(1840-1901), a British born botanist and geologist, who was a professor of Natural Science at the University of Adelaide.

Distribution and habitat

''Achnophora tatei'' is found along the south coast of

. The species is found in wet, swampy places.

Conservation

''Achnophora tatei'' has been classified as a

vulnerable species A vulnerable species is a species which has been Conservation status, categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as being threatened species, threatened with extinction unless the circumstances that are threatened species, ...

by the South Australian Government due to a restricted distribution and the impacts of increasing salinity.

References

{{Taxonbar, from1=Q4673870, from2=Q4673864 Monotypic Asteraceae genera Flora of Kangaroo Island Endemic flora of Australia Plants described in 1883 Taxa named by Ferdinand von Mueller