The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Pomaderris rugosa

Etymology

Pomaderris: lid skin
rugosa: wrinkled

Common Name(s)

Pomaderris

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 - Range Restricted

Qualifiers

2012 - RR, Sp

Authority

Pomaderris rugosa Cheeseman

Family

Rhamnaceae

Brief Description

Shrub with long erect reddish fuzzy branches to 3m tall bearing narrow wrinkled narrow leaves inhabiting lowland areas of the upper North Island. Leaves 10-60mm long by 5-14mm wide, margins slightly down-curved, rusty fuzzy underneath. Flowers white, in many small clusters. Fruit dry, small.

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

POMRUG

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Trees & Shrubs

Synonyms

None (first described in 1923)

Distribution

Endemic. New Zealand: North Island (Herekino, Waiti River (Between Silverdale and Orewa), Rotoroa and Ponui Islands. Coromandel Peninsula; Mayor (Tuhua) Island, west coast of Firth of Thames; Aotea and Kawhia Harbours).

Habitat

Coastal to lowland. Commonly found in open scrub overlying clay and other impoverished soils and rocks (especially Rhyolite). Also in low scrub within estuaries. The Herekino records are from forestry tracks and are disputed as natural by some botanists. Similarly there is some suggestion that the Silverdale records were the result of deliberate plantings.

Features

Erect, often widely spreading, rarely decumbent, much-branched shrub up to 3 m tall. Adult leaves 10-60 x 5-14 mm, dark green above, pale-grey, rarely rust coloured beneath, narrow-elliptic, narrow-oblong to oblong-lanceolate, obtuse, entire, margins flat in shade leaves, otherwise recurved, petiole to 5 mm; upper surface glabrous to glabrescent, sometimes with simple hairs at first, lower surface densely clothed in sessile and stalked stellate hairs, ferruginous and more conspicuous on veins; margins entire; stipules 1-2 mm long, deciduous. Juvenile leaves similar but usually larger and finely toothed. Inflorescence a rounded to sub-pyramidal, many-flowered panicle, terminal or subterminal, individual clusters compact; outer bracts pale, broadly elliptic, closely hairy; buds elongated, pale; pedicels to 3 mm. long. Flowers c.4 mm. diameter, calyx spreading, lobes 1.5 mm long, cream or pale yellow, fading to golden yellow after anthesis, deciduous; calyx-tube covered with fine close hairs, stellate except for a few simple ones. long; petals 0; style divided to c.1/2 length; petals absent. Anthers oblong. Ovary with dense stellate hairs at apex, wholly immersed in calyx tube at anthesis, ¨ø immersed at fruiting. Capsule c. 3.5 mm. long, nearly ¨ú immersed in calyx-tube, narrow, pale, losing sepals early; operculum > 1/2 coccus-length; cocci opening by opercula occupying ¨ø of their inner faces; seeds long, c.2 x 1 mm, dark brown, ant-dispersed.

Similar Taxa

Easily recognised by the usually erect, much-branched growth habit, slender branches; stipules which are deciduous; glabrous adult leaves which have entire margins; and by the deciduous sepals. It is perhaps closest to P. paniculosa subsp. novae-zelandiae (L.B.Moore) N.G.Walsh which differs by its geographic isolation from P. rugosa (North Cape, Whangarei Heads), usually decumbent, prostrate, straggling growth habit and by the fruits which have persistent rather than deciduous sepals

Flowering

October - December (but sporadic throughtout the year)

Flower Colours

Cream,Yellow

Fruiting

November - May

Propagation Technique

Easily grown though seed can be hard to germinate. An excellent hardy shrub of a coastal property. Surprisingly frost resistant. Does best in poor, freely draining soils in full sun. Do not EVER give plant fertilise - this will kill it.

Threats

Naturally uncommon but rather widespread, often sparsely distributed endemic. Most common on the Coromandel Peninsula but also abundant around the firth of Thames and on the Inner Gulf islands. It is widespread and tolerant of distrubance and often found in pine forests. There are few obvious threats.

Chromosome No.

2n = 48

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

This page last updated on 6 Dec 2014