Damnamenia Explained

Damnamenia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae.^{[1] [2] [3] [4]}

The only known species is Damnamenia vernicosa, called the black-eyed daisy. It is endemic to New Zealand (Auckland and Campbell Islands).^{[5] [6]}

Description

Damnamenia vernicosa is a small, perennial, stoloniferous herb. It has glossy green leaves and white daisy flowers with dark purple centres. The plant flowers from November to January and fruits from December to March.^[7]

Distribution and habitat

The plant is endemic to New Zealand's subantarctic Auckland and Campbell Islands. Its preferred habitats are upland cushion bogs and Pleurophyllum-dominated herbfields. It also grows at lower elevations in exposed and sparsely vegetated sites.^[7]

Taxonomy & naming

It was first described in 1844 as Celmisia vernicosa by Joseph Hooker. In 2012, David Given separated C. vernicosa from Celmisia and from related genera on the basis of its morphology, and allocated it to the new genus, Damnamenia. Given named the genus Damnamenia for the Dactyl, Damnamenius, since Celmisia was named for Celmis, another Dactyl. The specific epithet, vernicosa, is the Latin adjective, vernicosus,-a, -um, meaning "varnished",^[8] and refers to the apparently varnished leaves.

Conservation status

The species is listed as "At Risk – Naturally Uncommon" on the most recent (2018) New Zealand Threatened Classification for plants, because of its restricted range).^[9]

Notes and References

1. Given. David R.. Damnamenia gen. nov. A new subantarctic genus allied to Celmisia Casso (Astereae—Compositae). New Zealand Journal of Botany. 11. 4. 2012. 786–787. 0028-825X. 10.1080/0028825X.1973.10430310. free. pdf
2. Web site: Details for: Astereae . 18 July 2009 . Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin-Dahlem . Botanical Garden in Berlin . Euro+Med PlantBase . .
3. Web site: Genus Kippistia . 18 July 2009 . National Herbarium of New South Wales . New South Wales FloraOnline . Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney.
4. Web site: Polyarrhena Cass. . 18 July 2009 . African Plants Database . South African National Biodiversity Institute, the Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques de la Ville de Genève and Tela Botanica .
5. Web site: Flann, C (ed) 2009+ Global Compositae Checklist . 16 November 2014 . https://archive.today/20141116213116/http://dixon.iplantcollaborative.org/CompositaeWeb/default.aspx?Page=NameDetails&TabNum=0&NameId=b5fc9c60-a0ec-49cf-9e4a-631ae230c5e3 . 16 November 2014 . dead .
6. http://lntreasures.com/nzp.html Living National Treasures, Checklist of Endemic Vascular Plant Genera, New Zealand
7. Web site: Damnamenia vernicosa . 6 July 2014 . New Zealand Plant Conservation Network . 30 October 2013 .
8. Book: Stearn, W.T.. Botanical Latin (4th ed). Timber Press. 2004. 9780881926279. Oregon. 527.
9. Lange. Peter J. de. Rolfe. Jeremy R.. Barkla. John W.. Courtney. Shannel P.. Champion. Paul D.. Perrie. Leon R.. Beadel. Sarah M.. Ford. Kerry A.. Breitwieser. Ilse. Schönberger. Ines. Hindmarsh-Walls. Rowan. May 2018. Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2017. New Zealand Threat Classification Series. 22. 42. 1041649797.