Species

Pseudopanax macintyrei

Etymology

Pseudopanax: false cure

Common Name(s)

MacIntyres panax

Current Conservation Status

2012 - At Risk - Naturally Uncommon

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 - At Risk - Naturally Uncommon
2004 - Sparse

Qualifiers

2012 - RR, Sp

Authority

Pseudopanax macintyrei (Cheeseman) Frodin

Family

Araliaceae

Brief Description

Small dark green shrub inhabiting limestone in the north-western South Island

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

PSEMAC

The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Trees & Shrubs

Synonyms

Nothopanax macintyrei Cheeseman, Neopanax macintyrei (Cheeseman) Wardle

Distribution

Endemic. South Island from north-west Nelson to just north of Greymouth

Habitat

Coastal to montane in shrubland and low, often successional forest overlying limestone, marble or dolomitic marble rock outcrops.

Features

?Dioecious shrub or small tree up to 5 x 5 m, crown broad, spreading, branches numerous arising from rootstock or from small, stout trunk up 0.3 m d.b.h.; branches initially ascending but soon spreading, sparingly branched toward main branch apices. Bark initially purplish-brown, fading to pale brown and maturing grey. All parts glabrous or arely glabrescent. Petioles stout 20-100 mm long, stipulately sheathing at base. Leaves 3-3(-5)-foliolate, petiolules 5-9 mm long; leaflets 30-80 x 15-25(-30) mm, dull dark green (darker above paler beneath), elliptic-oblong to ovate-oblong, narrowed to base, acute at apex, margin sharply serrated, veins indistinct above scarcely discernible below, midrib raised on both surfaces 1.5-2 mm wide. Umbels mostly terminal or near tips of subterminal branches, compound, seemingly unisexual; primary rays (3-)4-8, widely spreading, 30-60 mm long; secondary rays 6-15, 5-10 mm long, slender, umbellules 6-10-flowered, pedicels 1.5-4 mm long, slender. Staminate with slightly more rays than pistillate, dark green to brown-green, stamens 5-6, spreading; ovary 2-locular, styles 2, fused at base otherwise spreading. Fruit 3-6 mm diameter, broadly ovoid to orbicular or ellipsoid, longitudinally compressed, fleshy, purple-black when ripe.

Similar Taxa

Could be confused with P. arboreus (Murray) Philipson and P. colensoi var. ternatus with which it sometimes grows. It differs from both by its restriction to calcareous substrates. From P. arboreus it differs by its much smaller stature, smaller leaves, narrower, consistently dark green, deeply serrated leaflets, fewer more gracile umbels that are more strictly terminal, fewer umbellules, smaller flowers and fruits. From P. colensoi var. ternatus it differs by its much smaller stature, much smaller leaves that are 3-5-foliolate rather than consistently 3-foliolate, narrower more deeply serrated leaflets, smaller umbels, umbellules, flowers and fruits.

Flowering

June - September

Flower Colours

Brown,Green

Fruiting

August - March

Propagation Technique

Easily grown from fresh seed and semi-hardwood cuttings. An attractive small tree which prefers full sun, and a permanently moist, free draining, fertile soil. Enriching the soil with lime is advisable.

Threats

At times a locally common component of coastal to montane karstfield, this species seems to be a naturally rather localised, usually biologically sparse western South Island endemic. There is no clear evidence that it has declined in any part of its range, and indeed because it is still poorly known it may even have a wider range than is currently recognised.

Chromosome No.

2n = 48

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

Yes

Endemic Family

No

This page last updated on 5 May 2011