The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Pseudopanax gilliesii

Etymology

Pseudopanax: false cure

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

Pseudopanax gilliesii Kirk

Family

Araliaceae

Brief Description

Small tree with a mix of single or 3 leathery leaflets on stalks that become much longer in the lower part of the twigs.

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Trees & Shrubs

Distribution

Endemic. Northeastern Northland and Little Barrier Island

Habitat

Coastal or lowland hardwood forest and shrubland

Features

Shrubby much-branched small tree to 5 m tall; branchlets slender, fleshy, brittle, light green to purpled; bark pale brown, lenticels prominent. Leaves alternate, unifoliate intermixed with trifoliate or irregularly lobed leaves; Petioles 2-8 cm long; lamina coriaceous, glossy green above, paler green below, c. 4-8 cm long, ovate, acute to acuminate, sharply serrate, on long slender petioles to 14 cm long in lower part of branchlet, trifoliate leaflets sessile or on very short petiolule; midvein prominent, lateral veins obvious. Inflorescence a terminal umbel; primary rays 3-6, c. 8 cm long, flowers racemosely arranged. Ovary 5-loculed, each containing 1 ovule (some aborted); style branches 5, connate. Fruit fleshy, subglobose, 6 x 5 mm, style branches retained on an apical disc, dark purple when ripe. Seeds 5 per fruit, narrowly ovate, 5.5-6.5 mm long.

Similar Taxa

Similar in many respects to Pseudopanax lessonii, with which it co-occurs. Pseudopanax lessonii has thicker trifoliate leaves with shallower toothing restricted to the distal 3/4 of the lamina

Flower Colours

Green

Threats

Probably a species naturally restricted to the northeastern non-basaltic Northland volcanics. Some habitat has been lost in the past to coastal development.

Chromosome No.

2n = 48

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

This page last updated on 6 Dec 2014