Anisotome latifolia
Encyclopedia
Anisotome latifolia, commonly known as the Campbell Island Carrot, is a species of flowering plant
in the umbellifer
family
.
, growing up to 2 m in height. The leathery basal leaves
are 300–600 mm long and 100–200 m wide, 2-pinnate with 5-7 pairs of dark to yellow-green leaflets. The inflorescence
axis grows up to 2 m, with a 10–15 mm diameter at the first node. The flowers vary from off-white to a creamy pink in colour. The plant flowers from October to February and fruits from January to March.
’s subantarctic
Auckland
and Campbell Islands
, where it is a striking component of the megaherb
community. It occurs from the coast up to the tops of the island ranges on peat
y ground among tussocks and other megaherbs, though more rarely under low forest. It is most abundant at lower altitudes and where the vegetation is not subject to browsing
by introduced animals.
Flowering plant
The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
in the umbellifer
Apiaceae
The Apiaceae , commonly known as carrot or parsley family, is a group of mostly aromatic plants with hollow stems. The family is large, with more than 3,700 species spread across 434 genera, it is the sixteenth largest family of flowering plants...
family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
.
Description
Anisotome latifolia is a large and robust perennial herbHerbaceous plant
A herbaceous plant is a plant that has leaves and stems that die down at the end of the growing season to the soil level. They have no persistent woody stem above ground...
, growing up to 2 m in height. The leathery basal leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
are 300–600 mm long and 100–200 m wide, 2-pinnate with 5-7 pairs of dark to yellow-green leaflets. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
axis grows up to 2 m, with a 10–15 mm diameter at the first node. The flowers vary from off-white to a creamy pink in colour. The plant flowers from October to February and fruits from January to March.
Distribution and habitat
The plant is endemic to New ZealandNew Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
’s subantarctic
Subantarctic
The Subantarctic is a region in the southern hemisphere, located immediately north of the Antarctic region. This translates roughly to a latitude of between 46° – 60° south of the Equator. The subantarctic region includes many islands in the southern parts of the Indian Ocean, Atlantic Ocean and...
Auckland
Auckland Islands
The Auckland Islands are an archipelago of the New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands and include Auckland Island, Adams Island, Enderby Island, Disappointment Island, Ewing Island, Rose Island, Dundas Island and Green Island, with a combined area of...
and Campbell Islands
Campbell Island, New Zealand
Campbell Island is a remote, subantarctic island of New Zealand and the main island of the Campbell Island group. It covers of the group's , and is surrounded by numerous stacks, rocks and islets like Dent Island, Folly Island , Isle de Jeanette Marie, and Jacquemart Island, the latter being the...
, where it is a striking component of the megaherb
Megaherb
Megaherbs are a group of herbaceous perennial wildflowers growing in the New Zealand sub-antarctic islands. They are characterised by their great size, with huge leaves and very large and often unusually-coloured flowers, which have evolved as an adaptation to the harsh weather conditions on the...
community. It occurs from the coast up to the tops of the island ranges on peat
Peat
Peat is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation matter or histosol. Peat forms in wetland bogs, moors, muskegs, pocosins, mires, and peat swamp forests. Peat is harvested as an important source of fuel in certain parts of the world...
y ground among tussocks and other megaherbs, though more rarely under low forest. It is most abundant at lower altitudes and where the vegetation is not subject to browsing
Browsing (predation)
Browsing is a type of herbivory in which an herbivore feeds on leaves, soft shoots, or fruits of high growing, generally woody, plants such as shrubs. This is contrasted with grazing, usually associated with animals feeding on grass or other low vegetation...
by introduced animals.