The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Pimelea xenica

Etymology

Pimelea: from the Greek pimele, referring to the seeds

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, Sp

Authority

Pimelea xenica C.J.Burrows

Family

Thymelaeaceae

Brief Description

Sprawling shrub to 30cm tall (usually less) with greyish-hairy stems bearing overlapping pairs of outwrd pointing thin blue-green leaves, hairy white flowers and white fruit inhabiting northern North Island south to Hawkes Bay. Leaves 4-5.5mm long by 1.5-2.2mm long, dished, inrolled when dry.

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Trees & Shrubs

Synonyms

None (first described in 2009)

Distribution

Endemic. North Island: North Auckland (scattered sites from Cape Reinga and North Cape south to Anawhata), South Auckland (Coromandel Peninsula), eastern Bay of Plenty, near East Cape, and at Hawke’s Bay, near Tangoio.

Habitat

Mainly coastal or near-coastal but sometimes further inland. A species of low heathland where it grows on open clay pans or within short shrubalnd dominated by Leptospermum scoparium, Leucopogon fasciculatus, Ozothamnus leptophylla, Baumea spp., Phormium cookianum, and Hebe spp. Also found on grassy slopes, open eroding banks on bare soil, and on rock outcrops.

Features

A moderately small, erect or suberect shrub, to 30 cm high, stems gracile, fastigiate to sprawling. Branching mainly sympodial with some diffuse lateral. Branchlets moderately densely covered by short to long, greyish-white hair. Internodes 0.5–1.2 mm long. Node buttresses short (0.1–0.8 mm), brown, lunate to slightly elongate, usually visible on young branchlets but not prominent on leafless stems. Older stems glabrate, grey or grey-brown. Leaves decussate, ascendant to patent, on short (0.2–0.5 mm) red petioles. Lamina thin, pliable, with a thickened margin, elliptic to ovate, 4.0–5.5 × 1.5–2.2 mm, pale green or glaucous, keeled and adaxially concave (dry leaf margins are often curled inward), midvein not plainly evident abaxially, obtuse or acute, base cuneate. Stomata abundant on adaxial and abaxial sides. Inflorescences terminal on branchlets, 3–5-flowered. Involucral bracts 4, broader than adjacent leaves (4 × 3 mm), partly hiding the flowers. Receptacles sparsely hairy, pedicels 0.3 mm. Plants gynodioecious. Flowers white, opening in salverform fashion, sparsely covered in short hair outside, inside hairy in upper tube and sparsely so in ovary portion. Female tube 3 mm long, ovary portion wrinkled, 2.4 mm long, calyx lobes 1.5 × 1.3 mm; hermaphrodite tube 4 mm long, ovary portion 1.5 mm, calyx lobes 1.8 × 1.5 mm. Anther dehiscence semi-latrorse. Ovary with sparse hair on summit and a few short hairs below that. Fruits sub-globose to oblate, fleshy, white, translucent, 5 × 4 mm. Seeds ovoid 2.1 × 1.7 mm, thin crest.

Similar Taxa

Pimelea xenica is part of the P. prostrata complex,. Within that complex it is morphologically most similar to P. orthia and P. actea, species with which it shares an erect to suberect growth habitat and pliable leaves with stomata present on both adaxial and abaxial surfaces. It differs from P. orthia by its suberect growth habit and over all shorter stature (up to 400 mm tall) and spreading branches. Pimelea xenica differs from P. actea by its suberect, sprawling habit, more frequent branching and flat leaves which are tightly curled when dry. Pimelea actea is a sparingly branched (whip-like) erect shrublet with flat flat leaves. It is endemic to the Wanganui - Manawatu coast where it grows (or used to grow) in sandy habitats on skeletal or recent soils. Pimelea xenica is confined to heathland, gumland, grassland on heavily leached or weather mature soils; it is endemic to the northern North Island, extending as far south as the Hawkes Bay

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

Burrows (2009) notes that one population near Cape Reinga was recently destroyed due to road works. However, he affirms that this species is poorly known. As a precautionary measure it probably merits future listing as Data Deficient.

Chromosome No.

2n = 36

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

This page last updated on 25 Feb 2017