Species

Azorella pallida

Etymology

pallida: From the Latin pallidus 'pale or pallid'

Common Name(s)

None Known

Current Conservation Status

2012 - Data Deficient

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 - Sp
2009 - DP

Authority

Azorella pallida (Kirk) Kirk

Family

Apiaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

SCHPAL

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 Herbs other than Composites

Synonyms

Pozoa pallida Kirk, Schizeilema pallidum (Kirk) Domin

Distribution

Endemic, South Island easterly from Marlborough to Canterbury

Habitat

Montane to subalpine (400-1400 m a.s.l.). In damp sites within forest, shrubland, grassland and herbfield, often along stream sides and lake margins.

Features

Bright green to yellow-green, glabrous, creeping, perennial herb from dense to diffuse patches 0.2-1 m diameter. Stems slender, much branched, usually arching and rooting at nodes. Leaves crowded at nodes and toward branch and stem apices. Petioles up to 50 mm long, slender, somewhat wiry, bright green; stipules deeply laciniate. Leaves up to 20 mm diameter, 3-foliolate or deeply 3-partite, membranous, pale green, bright green to yellow-green, upper surface very glossy undersides less so; leaflets obovate-cuneate, apices with 3-6 rouned to obtuse lobes. Peduncles up to 5 mm long. Umbels 4-12-flowered, simple (rarely with the inflorescence axis bearing up to more or less evenly spaced 4 umbels), sometimes with 2-3 long-pedicelled secondary umbels from base of primary; secondary umbels often umbellulate. Pedicels sometimes replaced by leaf-like bracts or small leaves. Involucral bracts linear to narrow-lanceolate, acute or obtuse. Petals greenish-yellow to cream. Schizocarp tetragonous; mericarps 4-ribbed, 1.8-2.3 mm long, dull brown, dark brown, red-brown or dark purple-brown,ovate, broadly ovate, broadly obovate, elliptic-ovate or elliptic-oblong.

Similar Taxa

The bright green, yellow-green to pale-green colouration, obtuse ended involucral bracts, and membranous 3-foliolate to 3-partite leaves distinguish this species from all other indigenous Schizeilema. The schizocarp of Schizeilema is the best quick way to distinguish the genus from the superficially similar Hydrocotyle L. In Schizeilema the mericarps are terete or dorsally compressed while those of Hydrocotyle are laterally strongly compressed and are usually asymmetric with a flattened ventral and a rounded dorsal surface.

Flowering

December - February

Flower Colours

Green,Yellow

Fruiting

January - March

Propagation Technique

Easily grown from rooted pieces and fresh seed. An attractive bright-green to yellow-green creeping plant for sunny or shaded damp places. Does not tolerate much humidity and should not be allowed to dry out.

Threats

Not threatened. An apparently widespread and at times locally common though mostly sparsely distributed species.

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

Where To Buy

Not commercially available.

  

This page last updated on 29 Aug 2017