Species

Pseudopanax discolor

Etymology

Pseudopanax: false cure
discolor: two colours or of different colours; from the latin dis and color; different colours of the leaf surfaces

Current Conservation Status

2012 - Not Threatened

Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2012
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2012 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS). This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2009 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Authors: Peter J. de Lange, Jeremy R. Rolfe, Paul D. Champion, Shannel P. Courtney, Peter B. Heenan, John W. Barkla, Ewen K. Cameron, David A. Norton and Rodney A. Hitchmough. File size: 792KB

Previous Conservation Status

2009 - Not Threatened
2004 - Not Threatened

Authority

Pseudopanax discolor (Kirk) Harms

Family

Araliaceae

Brief Description

Shrubby small tree with toothed leaves in groups of three at the end of long stems

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

PSEDIS

The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Trees & Shrubs

Synonyms

Panax discolor Kirk

Distribution

Endemic. North Island. Northland to upper Waikato region.

Habitat

Coastal and lowland forest and shrubland. Sealevel to c. 750 m a.s.l. A common component of the sites it inhabits

Features

Shrubby much-branched small tree to 5 m tall, branchlets fleshy, brittle, bark pale brown, lenticels prominent. Leaves alternate; Petioles 2-8 cm long; leaflets (1-)3(-5), palmate, thinly coriaceous, dark green to bronze or yellowish green above, paler purplish green below, obovate- to elliptic-cuneate, coarsely and sharply serrate, midrib and lateral veins prominent, darker. Terminal leaflet 4-8 x 1.5-2.5 cm, on short (c. 5 mm) petiolule, lateral leaflets sessile. Inflorescence a diffuse terminal umbel; staminate (male) with 4-10 rays, 3-8 cm long, racemosely arranged; pistillate (female) with rays 2-5 cm long, umbellules irregular, 2-6 flowered. Ovary 5-loculed, each containing 1 ovule (some aborted); style branches 5, connate, tips free. Fruit fleshy, oblong, 6.5 mm long, style branches retained on an apical disc, dark purple when ripe. Seeds 4-5 per fruit, easily broadly ovate, grooved, 4.5-5.5 mm long.

Similar Taxa

Only usually confused with Pseudopanax arboreus which usually has 5 leaflets. Psudopanax colensoi var. ternata also has three leaflets but these are larger and thicker.

Flowering

November-February

Flower Colours

Green

Fruiting

November-February

Threats

Not Threatened

Chromosome No.

2n = 48

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

Attribution

Description adapted from Allan (1961).

References and further reading

Allan, H.H. 1961. Flora of NZ, Vol. I. Government Printer, Wellington

Webb, C.J. &  Simpson, M.J.A. 2001. Seeds of NZ gymnosperms and dicotyledons. Manuka Press, Christchurch.

This page last updated on 18 Nov 2014