Abrotanella caespitosa is a member of the daisy family and is an endemic species of New Zealand.
Abrotanella caespitosa forms a loose cushion habit with runners that have distant scale leaves. It has narrower leaves compared to its close relatives and lacks a waxy bloom on its leaves.
The species is found in the South Island and southern North Island of New Zealand.[1] It grows in alpine herbfield habitats.
Abrotanella caespitosa is closely related to A. inconspicua, A. nivigena (from Australia), and A. patearoa. These four species form a well-supported clade and have almost identical DNA sequences, suggesting they diverged within the last 500,000 years. Abrotanella caespitosa is part of a radiation of Abrotanella species that occurred during the Pliocene and Pleistocene, associated with mountain building and glaciation episodes.