Silver-leaf daisy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pleurophyllum hookeri |
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| Flowering Pleurophyllum hookeri (foreground) on Campbell Island; the yellow-flowers in the background are of Bulbinella rossii | |
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Astereae
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Pleurophyllum
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P. hookeri
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| Pleurophyllum hookeri Buch.
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The Pleurophyllum hookeri, also known as the silver-leaf daisy or sage-green rosette herb, is a very special plant. It is a type of herbaceous plant that belongs to the daisy family. This plant is a megaherb, which means it grows much larger than typical herbs.
You can find this unique plant growing naturally on the cool, windy subantarctic islands. These islands include the Auckland and Campbell Islands in New Zealand, and Australia’s Macquarie Island.
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The Silver-Leaf Daisy
What is the Silver-Leaf Daisy?
The silver-leaf daisy can grow quite tall, reaching up to 900 mm (about 3 feet) in height. It has beautiful crimson (deep red) button-shaped flowers. Its long, silky leaves are a striking silver color.
Underground, this plant has a large tuber, which looks a bit like a giant carrot. It also has long roots that help it stay firmly in the ground.
How Does it Survive Strong Winds?
One of the most amazing features of the silver-leaf daisy is its stem. Most of its stem grows underground. This stem can actually contract, or pull itself shorter, vertically.
This special ability helps the plant in two important ways. First, it keeps the main part of the plant, called the leaf rosette, very close to the ground. This protects it from the very strong winds common on subantarctic islands. Second, it helps anchor the plant securely, preventing it from being blown away.
Protecting This Unique Plant
For a while, the silver-leaf daisy faced some threats on Macquarie Island. Before 2011, black rats and European rabbits were a problem. These introduced animals would eat the plants.
Luckily, a big project successfully removed these introduced mammals from Macquarie Island in 2011. This helped protect the silver-leaf daisy and other native plants from being eaten. Now, this unique plant can thrive more safely in its natural home.
