Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Tribe: Astereae
Genus: Pleurophyllum
Species: P. hookeri
Binomial name: Pleurophyllum hookeri
Common names: Silver-leaf Daisy, Sage-green Rosette Herb
Pleurophyllum hookeriis a herbaceous plant in the daisy family, a megaherb native to the subantarctic Auckland and Campbell Islands of New Zealand and Australia’s Macquarie Island. It grows up to 900 mm in height and has crimson button flowers and long, silky, silver leaves, with a large carrot-like tuber and long roots. It also has the unusual feature of a vertically contractile stem, most of which is underground, which serves to keep the leaf rosette close to the ground surface and the plant anchored securely against the very strong winds typical of subantarctic islands.
It flowers during December-February and seeds January-May. Seeds spread by wind.
Pleurophyllum hookeriis is threatened on Macquarie Island by introduced black rats and European rabbits.
The yellow flowers in the background are Bulbinella rossi.
Pleurophyllum hookeri (Enderby Island)
Photo below is courtesy of Tamzin Henderson @ https://www.tamzinnz.com/
Thanks to Wikipedia for text and information http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
