The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Carmichaelia glabrescens

Etymology

Carmichaelia: after Carmichael, a botanist
glabrescens: becoming hairless

Common Name(s)

pink broom

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

Carmichaelia glabrescens (Petrie) Heenan

Family

Fabaceae

Brief Description

Shrub with many untidy erect flattened leafless greenish twigs. Twigs 2-4mm wide, smooth. Flowers pink, pea-like, in short spikes. Fruit a flattened papery dry pod containing 2-3 hard mottled seeds and which does not split open.

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

CARGLA

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Trees & Shrubs

Synonyms

Notospartium glabrescens Petrie

Distribution

Endemic. New Zealand: South Island (Marlborough) - south of the Awatere Fault

Habitat

Lowland to montane. A species of alluvial terraces, gorges, cliff faces and steep valley sides.

Features

Leafless, spreading to upright, shrub or small tree up to 7 m tall. Branchlets slender, 120–400 × 1.8–4.0 mm, drooping, green, compressed. Leaves on branchlets reduced to a triangular scale, glabrous, < 0.8 mm long. Inflorescence a raceme, up to 30 mm long, with up to 20 flowers; pedicel 1.0–3.5 mm long, sparsely hairy. Calyx 1.5–2.4 × 1.5–2.4 mm, outer surface sparsely hairy to glabrescent, or glabrous, green; lobes 0.4–0.6 mm long, triangular. Flowers pink with dark pink veins, up to 8 mm long. Standard 7.0–7.5 × 6.3–6.6 mm, obovate, recurved; wings 5.3–7.8 × 1.0–1.7 mm, oblong, shorter than keel; keel 6.6–8.5 × 2.1–3.2 mm. Stamens 6.0–7.5 mm long. Pistil 7.8–8.4 mm long, exserted beyond stamens, ovary glabrous. Pods 8.0–28.0 × 2.8–5.2 mm, linear, laterally compressed, strongly constricted between the seeds, the seed outline not visible through the dry fruit wall, and the lower filaments are usually absent on mature fruits, indehiscent; beak up to 2.5 mm long, narrowly triangular, tapering to the persistent style; with up to 10 seeds. Seeds 2.0–3.5 mm long, reniform to reniform-triangular, light green-yellow, buff or orange-brown, often with black mottling.

Similar Taxa

Carmichaelia carmichaeliae and C. glabrescens are superficially very similar species. They have a similar growth habit, branchlets, and flowers. Carmichaelia carmichaeliae differs from C. glabrescens by the pods being weakly constricted between the seeds, the seed outline often visible through the dry fruit wall, and the lower filaments are usually persistent on mature fruits. C. glabrescens pods are shorter and broader, there are no constrictions between seeds, the seed outline is not visible through the fruit wall, and the lower filaments are usually absent from mature fruits.

Flowering

November – January

Flower Colours

Red / Pink

Fruiting

January – December

Propagation Technique

Easy from fresh seed. Semi hardwood cuttings can be struck with difficulty. An excellent species for a steep, free draining bank, cliff face or rock wall. Does well in any soil provided it is free draining. This species should be planted in full sun. It is intolerant of heavy shade and humidity.

Threats

Not Threatened

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

Life Cycle and Dispersal

Seeds are possibly dispersed by wind and granivory (Thorsen et al., 2009).

This page last updated on 31 May 2014