The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Carmichaelia corrugata

Etymology

Carmichaelia: after Carmichael, a botanist
corrugata: from the Latin corrugatus 'wrinkled'

Common Name(s)

Common dwarf broom

Current Conservation Status

2018 - Threatened - Nationally Vulnerable

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

2012 - At Risk - Declining
2009 - Not Threatened
2004 - Not Threatened

Qualifiers

2012 - DP, RF, Sp

Authority

Carmichaelia corrugata Colenso

Family

Fabaceae

Brief Description

Rare very low growing leafless shrub consisting of erect flattened yellow-green branches with a blunt orange tip. Branches 1.5-3.5mm wide, grooved, blunt-tipped. Flowers pea-like, pink with dark purple centre, in pairs. Fruit a dry pod with 4-6 hard seeds and which only partly opens.

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

CARCOG

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Trees & Shrubs

Synonyms

None (first described in 1883)

Distribution

Endemic. New Zealand: South Island (Marlborough, Canterbury (including possibly Banks Peninsula), and Otago.

Habitat

Inhabiting sparsely vegetated gravel and sand soils, stone and gravel ridges, river terraces (especially dry sandy hummocks), river beds, and disturbed sites.

Features

Dwarf, rhizomatous shrub, up to 20-80 mm tall, 1 m wide, forming a dense mat or tufts of cladodes. Rhizomes becoming increasingly stout and woody with age, 5-400 × l-5 mm. Cladodes linear, striate, compressed, erect, yellow-green to orange-green, glabrous, 20.0-70.0 × 1.5-3.5 mm; apex subacute to obtuse, yellow to yellow-green; leaf nodes 2-12. Leaves simple, broad-obovate to broad-elliptic, fleshy, entire, green, present on seedlings and absent on mature plants, 5.5-8.0 × 3.0-5.0 mm; adaxial and abaxial surfaces with scattered hairs; apex emarginate to retuse; base cuneate to narrow-obtuse; petiole sparsely hairy, 2.0-2.5 mm long. Leaves on cladodes reduced to a scale, triangular, glabrous, 0.6-1.5 x 0.8-1.4 mm; apex acute. Inflorescence a l-2-flowered raceme. Peduncle glabrous or sparsely hairy, green, 5-15 mm long. Bracts triangular, glabrous, pale green, 0.5-1.0 mm long; apex obtuse; margin hairy. Pedicel glabrous or hairy, pale green, 3.0-7.5 mm long. Bracteoles at top of pedicel, triangular, glabrous, green and often flushed red, c.0.2 × c.0.2 mm; margin hairy; apex acute. Calyx campanulate, c.2.5 × c.2.5 mm; inner surface glabrous, green; outer surface glabrous or sparsely hairy, green. Calyx lobes triangular, flushed red, c.0.5 mm long; apex acute; margin hairy or glabrous. Bud green. Standard obovate, patent, 8-10 × 6-8 mm; upper surface central area purple, margin white, sometimes purple-green veined; lower surface green, margin cream-green, sometimes purple-green veined; apex retuse; claw pale green, c.1.5 mm long. Wings oblong, shorter than keel, 5.0 - 6.5 × c.2.0 mm; upper surface distal area purple, proximal area green; lower surface white, sometimes purple-veined; auricle triangular, pale green, apex obtuse, c.1.25 mm long; claw pale green, c.1.5 mm long. Keel 6.0-8.0 × 2.5-3.0 mm; distal area of adaxial surface purple, proximal area pale green; distal area of abaxial surface purple-green, proximal area pale green; auricle triangular, pale green, with obtuse apex, c. 0.75 mm long; claw pale green, 2.0-2.5 mm long. Stamens 7.5-9 mm long; lower filaments connate for c. 2/3 length and outside filaments free for 1.5-2.5 mm. Pistil exserted beyond stamens, c.10 mm long; style with a ring of hairs below stigma, and sometimes a few scattered hairs on upper surface; ovules 9-11. Pod elliptic-oblong, laterally compressed, weakly falcate, black, brown, or grey, 7.5-15.0 × 3.0-4.0 mm; one valve partially dehiscent from base; beak on adaxial suture, slightly upturned, stout, pungent, 1.5-2 mm long. Seeds oblong-reniform, 2-9 per pod, black, brown, tan, or olive green, 1.2-2.0 × 1.0-1.5 mm.

Similar Taxa

Distinguished from C. uniflora Kirk by its larger diameter rhizome; partially dehiscent pod; cladodes which are broader, more robust, often longer, and yellow-green or orange-green in colour; and by the usually two-flowered inflorescence.

Flowering

October – May

Flower Colours

Violet / Purple,White

Fruiting

November - June

Propagation Technique

Easily grown from seed and hardwood cuttings. A beautiful shrub which deserves wider cultivation.

Threats

Threatened by browsing livestock, goats, hares and rabbits. 

Chromosome No.

2n = 96

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

This page last updated on 27 Jan 2020