Native Daisy (Lagenophora cuneata) hero image

Native Daisy

Lagenophora cuneata

Not Threatened

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Lagenophora cuneata, formerly spelt Lagenifera cuneata, is a very small, slender native daisy endemic to New Zealand. It spreads by thin rhizomes to form open patches of tiny leaf rosettes, the leaves only 4 to 15 mm long and wedge shaped. Very slender stalks 5 to 12 cm tall carry minute daisy heads 5 to 8 mm across from November to February. It grows in lowland to lower subalpine grassland and open places from about latitude 39° southwards, often on damp tarn and lake margins, fens and tussock grassland. It is ranked Not Threatened. Explore more native ground covers in our native plant guide.

Native Daisy (Lagenophora cuneata) in its natural habitat
Image credit: Native Daisy (Lagenophora cuneata) - photo by Wikipedia contributors, via Wikipedia

Plant Description

Lagenophora cuneata is a diminutive rhizomatous herb. Thin underground stems run through the turf and produce small rosettes of leaves at their nodes, so a single plant forms an open, scattered patch rather than a tight clump.

The leaves are obovate to oblong-cuneate (wedge shaped), rounded at the tip, only about 4 to 15 mm long and 3 to 6 mm wide, somewhat leathery, hairless or sparsely hairy, with slightly thickened, finely ciliate margins. Very slender scapes 5 to 12 cm long, erect or curving, each carry a single minute flower head 5 to 8 mm across, with short ray florets around a central disc, and up to two narrow leaves on the stalk.

Compared with the more familiar papataniwhaniwha (Lagenophora pumila), it is much smaller in every part, with wedge-shaped rather than roundish leaves. Its seeds (cypselae) are small, about 1.5 to 1.75 mm long, with a very short erect beak of 0.25 mm or less.

Quick Facts

Lagenophora cuneata quick facts
Scientific Name Lagenophora cuneata
Height 0.05-0.12 m in flower
Spread Open patches spreading slowly by rhizomes
Water Needs Moderate to high; often in damp sites
Light Full sun to light shade
Frost Tolerance High; reaches lower subalpine altitudes
Salt Tolerance No information available
Growth Rate Slow to moderate
Lifespan Perennial

Climate Best Suited to

Suits cool temperate climates from the southern North Island through the South Island, including frosty inland basins and montane country.

Regional Suitability

City suitability for Lagenophora cuneata
City Climate Suitability
Auckland Low
Wellington Medium
Christchurch Medium
Dunedin High

Plant Habitat

Lagenophora cuneata is endemic to New Zealand and occurs from about latitude 39° southwards in the North and South Islands, in lowland to lower subalpine grassland and open places.

Herbarium collections record it from montane fens, including on hummocks of old tussock bases, from tarn and lake margins, stream beds and dry tussock grassland, from around 790 m to about 1500 m in the Richardson Mountains of Otago. Most records are from moist, open, short vegetation.

Growing Requirements

Soil Requirements

It grows in low-fertility soils, from peaty fen margins to the stony soils of tussock grassland.

  • Moist, low-fertility soil or peat
  • Open, short turf with little competition
  • Avoid rich, heavily fertilised ground

Light Requirements

It is a plant of open grassland and turf where little shades its tiny rosettes.

  • Full sun or very light shade
  • Easily swamped by taller grasses

Water Requirements

Many of its sites are damp, such as fens and tarn edges, although it also occurs in drier tussock grassland.

  • Keep soil evenly moist
  • Suits a damp corner of a rock garden or trough

Planting and Establishing

Lagenophora cuneata is rarely available, so it is mainly of interest to collectors of alpine and miniature native plants. Grow it in a trough, pot or small rock garden pocket where it will not be overrun.

Use a gritty, moist mix and plant small divisions in spring, keeping them watered until the rhizomes start to run.

Ecological Role

Its glandular seeds (cypselae) are dispersed by wind and by attaching to passing animals or people, as is typical for the genus. This lets it colonise small open patches in turf and fens.

Pollinators are not specifically recorded for this species in the sources consulted. Its small, open daisy heads are of a type generally visited by small generalist insects.

Uses & Significance

Garden Uses

It is a curiosity for specialist growers rather than a general garden plant.

  • Alpine troughs and miniature gardens
  • Moist pockets in a rock garden
  • Collections of native daisies

Ecological Value

It is one of several small native daisies that add diversity to grassland, fen and lake-margin turf.

  • Endemic to New Zealand
  • Part of open montane turf and fen communities
  • Adds small flowering herbs to short vegetation

Landscaping Uses

Because of its tiny size it has no practical landscaping role at scale. In a trough garden, use it as a fine-textured groundcover between stones alongside other miniature natives.

It looks best where it can be seen at close range, such as in a raised trough near a path.

Seasonal Care Calendar

Spring

New rosettes form along the rhizomes as soils warm.

  • Divide or plant out in spring
  • Keep competing grasses trimmed

Summer

Flowering runs from November to February, with minute daisy heads on hair-thin stalks.

  • Keep moist in dry spells
  • Watch for seed heads from December

Autumn

Fruiting continues until April.

  • Collect ripe seed heads
  • Sow fresh seed

Winter

The small rosettes sit dormant through frosts.

  • No action needed
  • Keep troughs free-draining in wet spells

When to Prune and How Much

No pruning is needed. Snip off spent flower stalks if you want a tidier look, or leave them to shed seed.

Remove any taller weeds or grasses that start to overshadow the rosettes.

How to Grow Native Daisy

NZPCN describes Lagenophora cuneata as easy to propagate from fresh seed and by division of whole plants. Flowering is from November to February and fruiting from December to April, so seed can be gathered through late summer and early autumn. Because the plant spreads by slender rhizomes that root at the nodes, division is the quickest way to make new plants, while seed gives a larger number of plants for restoration work. Use only material from cultivated plants or collected with permission from local populations.

From Seed

The seeds are tiny, about 1.5 to 1.75 mm long, with glandular surfaces and no pappus. Collect heads as they dry and the seeds loosen.

  1. Collect ripe seed heads between December and April
  2. Sow fresh seed on the surface of a fine, gritty mix
  3. Cover with a light dusting of fine grit
  4. Keep moist and in good light
  5. Prick out seedlings into small pots once they have a few leaves

By Division

Each rosette along the rhizome can root independently, so small rooted pieces can be separated easily.

Division is best done in spring when new rosettes are forming, and small pieces establish most reliably in a shallow pan where the rhizomes have room to spread sideways rather than in a deep pot.

  1. Lift part of a patch in spring
  2. Cut the rhizome between rooted rosettes
  3. Pot each rosette into a moist gritty mix
  4. Keep shaded and damp for a few weeks until established

Pests & Diseases

No specific pests are recorded. In cultivation, slugs and snails may graze the small leaves, and competition from vigorous weeds is the most common cause of loss.

In the wild, invasion of turf and fens by introduced grasses and weeds can crowd it out.

Cultural Significance

No Māori name or traditional use is recorded specifically for Lagenophora cuneata in the sources consulted.

Donald Petrie named the species. The genus name comes from the Latin lagen, a flask, and the Greek suffix phora, carrier, possibly referring to the urn-shaped seed, while cuneata means wedge shaped, describing the leaves.

Bonus Tip

If you find a tiny native daisy on a tarn margin and are unsure whether it is Lagenophora cuneata or a small papataniwhaniwha, check the leaves: this species has leaves that taper to a wedge at the base and are only a centimetre or so long, with flower heads under 8 mm across.

Plant Conservation

Lagenophora cuneata is ranked Not Threatened (2023) nationally and Regionally Not Threatened in Otago.

Protecting open fens, tarn margins and short tussock grassland from weed invasion and drainage helps maintain the habitats where it grows.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Lagenifera cuneata the same as Lagenophora cuneata?

Yes. Lagenophora was conserved as the correct spelling of the genus, a ruling New Zealand botanists adopted in 2013, so Lagenifera cuneata is now treated as a synonym.

How do you identify Lagenophora cuneata?

Look for tiny wedge-shaped leaves 4 to 15 mm long rounded at the tip, very slender flower stalks, minute heads 5 to 8 mm across and small seeds only about 1.5 to 1.75 mm long.

Where does Lagenophora cuneata grow?

It occurs from about latitude 39° southwards in both main islands, in lowland to lower subalpine grassland and open places, with herbarium records from tarn and lake margins, fens and tussock grassland.

Sources and Further Reading

The botanical, growing, and conservation details for Native Daisy (Lagenophora cuneata) on this page draw on the New Zealand plant references below. Consult them for full technical records and the latest distribution data.