About Pleurophyllum criniferum Hook.fil.
Pleurophyllum criniferum is a large perennial herb that can grow up to 2 meters (6 feet 7 inches) tall. Its leaves can reach 1 meter (3 feet 3 inches) or more in length, and vary in shape, most commonly from oblong-ovate to lanceolate. The undersides of the leaves are covered in silky white hairs. Flowers grow as 15 to 30 heads arranged in elongated racemes, with short, inconspicuous ray florets and dark purple disk florets. This species flowers between December and February, and fruits between January and May. It is endemic to the subantarctic Antipodes, Auckland, and Campbell Islands of New Zealand, where it is a distinct, noticeable part of the local megaherb community. It grows from coastal areas up into the island mountain ranges, found in herbfields growing on peaty ground.
