Species

Aristotelia fruticosa

Etymology

Aristotelia: Named after Aristotle, the Greek philosopher and polymath
fruticosa: shrubby

Common Name(s)

Mountain wineberry

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

Aristotelia fruticosa Hook.f.

Family

Elaeocarpaceae

Brief Description

A small-leaved shrub with hairy branchlets and veins evident on the underside of leaves

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

ARIFRU

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

Distribution

Endemic. North, South and Stewart Islands. Throughout, but often localised in occurrence

Habitat

Lowland to subalpine forest understory and shrubland, commoner at hgher altitudes

Features

Dioecious, variable, much branched erect or low growing shrub, sometimes spiny, to 2 m tall; trunk and branches sub-divaricate to upright, rigid, sometimes entangled; bark reddish brown; branchlets reddish brown, pubescent. Leaves opposite or in opposite fascicles on arrested branchlets; petioles c. 2 mm long, widening into lamina; midvein inconspicuous above, midvein and secondary veins obvious below; lamina either 5-7 x 4-5 mm, obovate to oblong, coriaceous, dark green, or c. 15 x 9 mm, ovate to lanceolate, thinner, lighter green, margins distinctly serrate, tip acute to obtuse, base cuneate, undersides pale green. Juvenile leaves larger, thinner, irregularly lobed and serrate. Inflorescences inconspicuous, lateral along branchlets, flowers c. 2-3 mm diam., solitary, in opposite pairs or in 3-6 flowered cymes, on short pubescent pedicels 1-2 mm long. Sepals 4, oblong, pubescent; petals 4, slightly > sepals, with 1-4 crenate teeth, white to light pink to red. Stamens 4-6, not projecting beyond corolla, anthers > filaments. Ovary 2- celled(?), styles 2(?). Fruit a c. 2(?)-seeded fleshy berry, 3-4 mm diam., pale, white, pink, bright red to black, bitter to taste. Seed irregularly angled, ventral surface flattened, elliptic, 2.0-2.6 mm, surface irrregular, attachment scar obvious, small orange aril sometimes present.

Similar Taxa

Similar to other small leaved shrub species with veins conspicuous below, particularly Raukaua anomalous (which has a flattened, jointed petiole) and Melicytus micranthus (which has a pale blotch at the base of the lamina)

Flowering

October-December

Flower Colours

Red / Pink,White

Fruiting

November to April

Chromosome No.

2n = 28

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

Life Cycle and Dispersal

Fleshy berries are dispersed by frugivory (Thorsen et al., 2009).

 



Attribution

Description adapted from Allan 1961, Heenan and de Lange 2006, Eagle 2000 and Webb and Simpson 2001.

References and further reading

Allan, H.H. 1961. Flora of New Zealand. Government Printer, Wellington

Heenan, P.B, de Lange, P.J. 2006. Pseudowintera insperata (Winteraceae), an overlooked and rare new species from northern New Zealand. NZ J. Botany 44: 89-98

Eagle, A. 2000. Eagle's complete trees and shrubs of NZ. Te Papa Press, Wellington

Thorsen, M. J.; Dickinson, K. J. M.; Seddon, P. J. 2009. Seed dispersal systems in the New Zealand flora. Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 2009 Vol. 11 No. 4 pp. 285-309

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

Wilson, H; Galloway, T. 1993. Small-leaved shrubs of New Zealand. Manuka Press, Christchurch

This page last updated on 10 May 2014