The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Solanum aviculare var. aviculare

Etymology

Solanum: Derivation uncertain - possibly from the Latin word sol, meaning "sun," referring to its status as a plant of the sun. Another possibility is that the root was solare, meaning "to soothe," or solamen, meaning "a comfort," which would refer to the soothing effects of the plant upon ingestion.
aviculare: small bird

Common Name(s)

Poroporo

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 - At Risk - Declining
2004 - Not Threatened

Qualifiers

2012 - DP, Sp, TO
2009 - DP, Sp, TO

Authority

Solanum aviculare G.Forst. var. aviculare

Family

Solanaceae

Brief Description

Fleshy shrub to 3m tall bearing dark green thin narrow leaves that have 1-3 large sharp lobes and large white or pink flowers that have a projecting yellow centre. Leaves 4-40cm long by 1-1.5cm wide. Flowers to 40cm wide. Fruit yellow or orange, 15-25mm long. POISONOUS.

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

SOLAVA

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Trees & Shrubs

Synonyms

Solanum aviculare var. albiflorum Cheeseman, Solanum cheesemanii Herasim., Solanum aviculare f. aviculare nom. nud.

Distribution

Indigenous. Kermadec, North, South and Chatham Islands. In the South Island south to about Banks Peninsula and Westland. Also present on Norfolk (Extinct), Lord Howe (Extinct) and eastern Australia and New Guinea. Naturalised in at least China and Russia, probably elsewhere.

Habitat

Coastal to lowland (0-400 m a.s.l.). Usually in open shrubland, in and around sea bird nesting grounds, seal haul outs, or along forest margins. Sometimes an urban weed.

Features

Small, softly woody shrub up to 3 x 2 m. Branches sparse to many, suberect to spreading, initially dark green, purple-green to reddish-brown, maturing with fine grey, chartaceous bark. Leaves alternate with decurrent, fleshy petioles up to 30 mm long; lamina fleshy-membranous to almost coriaceous, 40-400 x 10-15(-20) mm, dark green, purple-green or rarely yellow-green, narrowly lanceolate to elliptic, entire, or deeply 1-3(-4)- lobed to pinnatifid; lobes/pinnae broadly lanceolate. Flowers axillary in 1-3 few to many-flowered cymes. Calyx lobes short, broad, spreading. Corolla broadly campanulate to rotate, up to 40 mm diameter; tube up to 10 mm long, funnelform, widely flaring at mouth, lobes 10-15 mm, lanceolate; white, lavender, or dark blue , in all cases usually fading to white after anthesis. Filaments up to 5 mm long. Anthers 3-6 mm long, oblong, spreading, yellow, opening by apical slits. Berry 15-25 mm long, broadly ovoid to ellipsoid, maturing yellow or orange, fleshy, pendent; stone cells sparse, inconspicuous. Seeds 1.3-2 mm long, dull to semi-glossy, orange-brown, purple-brown or dark purple brown, obovate to cricular or transversely elliptic, often asymmetric, compressed.

Similar Taxa

Often confused with the much more widespread and common S. laciniatum Aiton which has much wider (up to 50 mm diameter) rotate flowers with broader lobes, with distinctly frilled (ruffled), emarginate lobe apices, large seeds (2-3 mm cf. 1-2 mm) and a different chromosome number (2n = 92 cf 2n = 46). S. aviculare var. aviculare differs from var. latifolium G.T.S.Baylis by its consistently narrower leaves and taller growth habit. Sterile material of either Solanum is impossible to determine to species level

Flowering

Throughout the year

Flower Colours

Blue,Violet / Purple

Fruiting

Throughout the year

Propagation Technique

Easily grown from fresh seed and semi-hardwood cuttings. Tolerant of heavy shade and full sun, and dry or wet soils but not frost. However, as with all poroporo the green fruits are extremely toxic. The white flowered form (known as var. albiflorum in some flora treatments) is particularly attractive and worth growing.

Threats

It has been observed that var. aviculare is becoming less common in the northern North Island though why is not clear. A full nationwide conservation assessment is needed to clarify its exact status.

Chromosome No.

2n = 46

Endemic Taxon

No

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

This page last updated on 22 Sep 2017