The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Pimelea carnosa

Etymology

Pimelea: from the Greek pimele, referring to the seeds

Common Name(s)

Pimelea, pinatoro

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

Pimelea carnosa C.J.Burrows

Family

Thymelaeaceae

Brief Description

Very low-growing sprawling shrub with creeping greyish-haired twigs bearing overlapping pairs of thick fleshy oval leaves, clusters of small white flowers, and white fruit inhabiting coastal areas probably throughout. Leaves slightly ridged underneath, 3.5-4.9mm long by 1.5-3.5mm wide.

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Trees & Shrubs

Synonyms

None (first described in 2009)

Distribution

Endemic. Three Kings (Manawha Tawhi), North and South Islands to about Otago. All recent South Island records come from Nelson, North-west Nelson to about Buller and in the east along the Marlborough coast to Ward and at Kaitorete Spit.

Habitat

Coastal: Mostly on cliffs and banks, sometimes on dunes; commonly in short turf on wind- and spray-swept cliff tops together with a range of halophytic plants.

Features

A small to medium-sized shrub, prostrate or pendent on banks and cliffs; stems slender to stout, flexible, up to 70 cm long. Branching sympodial and lateral, with some short shoots. Branchlets light brown, moderately densely covered by short, stiff, greyish-white hair. Internodes 1–2 mm long. Older stems slightly hairy to glabrate, light-brown to dark grey. Node buttresses short (0.2 mm), dark brown, lunate, masked by hair on young stems, not prominent on leafless stems. Leaves decussate, crowded on young branchlets, imbricate, ascendant, may become patent later, on short (0.5 mm) red petioles. Lamina broad-ovate or broad-elliptic, 3.5–4.9 × 1.5–3.5 mm, glabrous, glaucous, thick, often fleshy, adaxially concave to slightly keeled, midvein evident abaxially, obtuse, base cuneate, sometimes truncate. Stomata abundant on adaxial side, none or rare on abaxial side. Inflorescences 4–6-flowered, terminal on branchlets. Involucral bracts 4, similar in size to adjacent leaves or larger (5.5 × 3.8 mm). Receptacles moderately hairy. Pedicels 0.2 mm. Plants gynodioecious. Flowers white, fragrant, moderately densely hairy on outside of tube and calyx lobes; inside hairless. Calyx lobes open in salverform fashion. Female tube 3 mm, ovary portion 2.2 mm, calyx lobes 1.8 × 1.4 mm; hermaphrodite tube 4.2 mm long, ovary portion 2.5 mm, calyx lobes 2.0 × 1.8 mm. Anther dehiscence semi-latrose. Ovary sparsely hairy at summit and to one-quarter of the way down. Fruits broad ovoid, fleshy, white, opaque, 5.0 × 3.8 mm. Seeds broad ovoid 2.8 × 2 mm.

Similar Taxa

P. carnosa is easily recognised by the extremely fleshy, broad-elliptic to broad-ovate, keeled, imbricate (overlapping), ascendant leaves, lunate node buttresses, and very hairy young stems. It is perhaps closest to, and has often been confused with P. urvilliana which differs by the bright white, long, dense indumentum of the stem internodes (rather than the grey-white, short, moderately dense hairs of the stem internodes of P. carnosa) and by having notably less fleshy, more widely spaced, elliptic or ovate leaves.

Flowering

September – April

Flower Colours

White

Fruiting

November – June

Propagation Technique

Easily grown from semi-hardwood cuttings and rooted pieces. Seed is difficult to germinate. Best grown in a well drained soil in full sun. An excellent plant for the rockery.

Threats

Not Threatened

Chromosome No.

2n = 36

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

This page last updated on 6 Jan 2014