Species

Astelia nervosa

Etymology

Astelia: Stemless
nervosa: with conspicuous veins

Common Name(s)

Mountain astelia

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

Astelia nervosa Hook.f.

Family

Asteliaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

ASTNER

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

Monocotyledonous Herbs

Synonyms

Astelia nervosa var. montana Kirk ex Cheeseman; Astelia montana (Kirk) Ckn.; Astelia cockaynei Cheeseman

Distribution

A. nervosa may be confined to the South and Stewart Islands; North Island plants have greener leaves with a brownish/bronze indumentum on the abaxial (lower) surfaces and these may constitute an unnamed taxon.

Features

Undersides of leaves often showing zigzag 'tracks' caused by feeding of the larvae of the 'astelia zigzag moth' (http://www.monarch.org.nz/monarch/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Autumn13_03.pdf)

Flower Colours

Brown,Red / Pink

Threats

Not Threatened

Chromosome No.

2n = 210

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

Life Cycle and Dispersal

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

 

Attribution

http://www.monarch.org.nz/monarch/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Autumn13_03.pdf

References and further reading

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

http://www.monarch.org.nz/monarch/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Autumn13_03.pdf (for life history of astelia zigzag moth)

This page last updated on 23 Jan 2017