Species

Pseudowintera insperata

Etymology

Pseudowintera: false Wintera (a related genus)

Common Name(s)

Northland horopito

Current Conservation Status

2012 - Threatened - Nationally Critical

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 - Threatened - Nationally Critical
2004 - Not Threatened

Qualifiers

2012 - DP
2009 - DP

Authority

Pseudowintera insperata Heenan et de Lange

Family

Winteraceae

Brief Description

Small tree with dark trunks and reddish twigs bearing shiny oval leaves that are white underneath (excepting central vein) inhabiting sites in Northland. Leaves 35-110mm long by 18-45mm, central vein green above, red underneath. Flowers small, green. Fruit small and purple.

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Trees & Shrubs

Synonyms

None

Distribution

Endemic. North Island, formerly on all the northern Whangarei Harbour highpoints from Maungatapere to Bream Head, and also at Logues Bush near Wellsford. Now only known from Mt Manaia, Bream Head and Logues Bush.

Habitat

Coastal, lowland, and alluvial forest, and on exposed ridge tops within low windshorn scrub and forest overlying skeletal soils developed on igenous (andesitic and basaltic) rocks, talus and rock outcrops.

Features

Shrub or small tree up to 7 m tall; trunks and branches upright. Branchlets red-brown to maroon-black, glabrous or hairy. Leaf buds and expanding leaves usually hairy on lamina margin, undersides and petiole. Petiole 4-11 x 1.4-2.4 mm, red-brown to maroon. Leaves 35-110 x 18-45 mm, upper surface glossy, dark green to yellow-green, without blemishes or blotches; midvein conspicuous, pale cream to yellow-green, glabrous or sparsely hairy; lamina broadly obovate, oblanceolate, elliptic, broadly elliptic to orbicular, coriaceous; undersides white; midvein red, sparsely hairy or glabrous. Inflorescences axillary, flowers bisexual, solitary or in fascicles of 2-3. Calyx cupule 2.8-2.9 mm diam., margins entire. Corolla comprised of 5-8 free petals, these 3.8-7.0 x 2.3-3.0 mm, broadly elliptic, cream, apex obtuse. Carpels 2-5, free, obovoid, stigma apical. Stamens 13-22, free. Fruit a 1-4-seeded berry, 6.4-9.8 x 4.9-1.8-2.3 mm, black, obovoid to obovoid-oblong.

Similar Taxa

Distinguished from P. axillaris, P. colorata and P. traversii by its small tree habit, with an erect growth form, broadly obovate to broadly elliptic leaves that are glossy, without blemishes and blotches, and by the conspicuous pale cream to yellow-green midvein. The inflorescences have ciliate bracts, and an entire cupule, and the fruits are black.

Flowering

(October-) December - February

Flower Colours

Cream,Yellow

Fruiting

November - May

Propagation Technique

Can be grown from semi-hardwood cuttings which, though slow strike readily. Fresh seed should germinate well, though it may take 1-2 years to germinate.

Threats

Herbarium specimens suggest there was once six discrete populations, three of these are now probably extinct. Of the remaining three, one plant survives at Logues Bush, and there are c.50 adult plants at the other two sites. Although recruitment is happening at the two main populations, all three populations occupy an area of < 1 ha. Although active threats are not evident, one population is potentially vulnerable to trampling. The plant at Logues Bush is in ill thrift. For all these reasons this species is regarded at seriously threatened. However, it is cryptic, and easily overlooked and current population estimates are probably inaccurate. For these reasons the threat ranking is qualified as Data Poor (DP)

Chromosome No.

2n = 84

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

Yes

Endemic Family

No

Where To Buy

Not commercially available

Notes on taxonomy

Recognised as distinct in 2003. Prior to that these northerly plants had usually been referred to P. axillaris or as hybrids between P. axillaris and P. colorata.

Attribution

Fact Sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange 12 December 2006: Description modified from Heenan & de Lange (2006).

References and further reading

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

This page last updated on 31 Jul 2014