The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Solanum aviculare var. latifolium

Etymology

Solanum: Derivation uncertain - possibly from the Latin word sol, meaning "sun," referring to its status as a plant of the sun. Another possibility is that the root was solare, meaning "to soothe," or solamen, meaning "a comfort," which would refer to the soothing effects of the plant upon ingestion.
aviculare: small bird
latifolium: broad leaf

Common Name(s)

poroporo

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 - Sp

Authority

Solanum aviculare var. latifolium G.T.S.Baylis

Family

Solanaceae

Brief Description

Fleshy shrub to 2m tall bearing dark green thin wide leaves that have 1-3 large sharp lobes and large purpleish flowers that have a projecting yellow centre. Leaves 15-80cm long by 3-6cm wide. Flowers up to 40cm wide. Fruit yellow, 20-25mm long. POISONOUS.

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Trees & Shrubs

Synonyms

Solanum aviculare f. latifolium G.T.S.Baylis nom. nud., Solanum baylisii Herasim.

Distribution

Endemic. Three Kings Islands and some islands of the outer Hauraki Gulf south to the Coromandel Peninsula and surrounding islands. Exact distribution in the Hauraki Gulf not clear due to confusion of sterile plants with broad and simple leaved forms of S. laciniatum Aiton.

Habitat

Coastal. Usually in shaded sites within coastal forest often in and around sea bird nesting grounds (especially petrel burrows) or along forest/petrel scrub margins.

Features

Small, softly woody shrub up to 2 x 2 m. Branches sparse to many, suberect to spreading, initially dark green, purple-green to reddish-brown, maturing with fine grey, chartaceous bark. Leaves alternate with decurrent, fleshy petioles up to 30 mm long; lamina fleshy-membranous to almost coriaceous, 150-800 x 30-60(-80) mm, dark green, purple-green or rarely yellow-green, broadly lanceolate, broadly elliptic, broad ovate to broadly rhomboid, usually entire, sometimes sinuate, often deeply 1-2-3- lobed or sparingly and irregularly pinnatifid (often on one side of lamina only); lobes/pinnae broadly lanceolate. Flowers axillary in 1-3 few to many-flowered cymes. Calyx lobes short, broad, spreading. Corolla broadly campanulate to rotate, up to 40 mm diameter; tube up to 10 mm long, funnelform, widely flaring at mouth, lobes 10-15 mm, lanceolate; white, lavender, dark blue or white striped with blue/lavender, in all cases usually fading to white after anthesis. Filaments up to 5 mm long. Anthers 5-6 mm long, oblong, spreading, yellow, opening by apical slits. Berry broadly oval, 20-25 mm long, drooping, at firsty dark green maturing yellow, rather fleshy. Seeds 1.3-2 mm long, dull to semi-glossy, orange-brown, purple-brown or dark purple brown, obovate to cricular or transversely elliptic, often asymmetric, compressed.

Similar Taxa

Very close to S. aviculare G.Forst. var. aviculare and appearing to intergrade with it in the southern part of its range. S. aviculare var. latifolium is considered by many of dubious status, and it is not even recognised by most modern New Zealand treatments of the indigenous species. Nevertheless it does form a distinct true-breeding population on the Three Kings Islands and it is recognisable in some parts of the outer Hauraki Gulf and Coromandel Peninsula (and near shore islands to that area). NZPCN prefer to regard it as a distinct from var. aviculare mainly because of its much larger and wider usually simple to sparingly lobed leaves. In the Hauraki Gulf a form of S. laciniatum with broad, simple, usually enitre leaves and white flowers is occasionally found. Without flowers it is impossible to distinguish from S. aviculare var. latifolium. Flowering specimens differ by their much larger (up to 50 mm) rotate flowers with very broad lobes and distinct frilled emarginate apices. Both taxa are cytologically distinct, S. aviculare has 2n = 46 cf 2n = 96 in S. laciniatum.

Flowering

Throughout the year

Flower Colours

Blue,Violet / Purple

Fruiting

Throughout the year

Propagation Technique

Easily grown from fresh seed and semi-hardwood cuttings. Tolerant of heavy shade and full sun, and dry or wet soils but not frost. The wide leaves and smaller overall growth habit make this an interesting and worth while poroporo for the small garden. However, as with all poroporo the green fruits are extremely toxic.

Threats

Not threatened. A widespread but biologically sparse plant which reaches its greatest abundance on the Three Kings Islands (its type locality).

Chromosome No.

2n = 46

Endemic Taxon

No

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

This page last updated on 12 Dec 2014