Species

Pseudopanax kermadecensis

Etymology

Pseudopanax: false cure
kermadecensis: From the Kermadec Islands

Common Name(s)

Kermadec five finger

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 - CD, IE
2009 - RC, OL, IE

Authority

Pseudopanax kermadecensis (W.R.B.Oliv.) Allan

Family

Araliaceae

Brief Description

Tree bearing leaves that have usually seven thin pointed leaflets radiating out from the tip of a long stalk inhabiting Raoul Island in the Kermadec Islands. Leaflets 10-15cm long. Flowers in clusters on wide-angled stalks. Fruits flattened, with small cap.

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

PSEKER

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 kermadecensis W.R.B.Oliv., Neopanax kermadecensis (W.R.B.Oliv.) Phillipson Pseudopanax arboreus var. kermadecensis (W.R.B.Oliv.) Sykes

Distribution

Endemic. Kermadec Islands, Raoul Island

Habitat

Coastal to main summit ridges and crater rim in both dry and wet forest types. However, Kermadec five finger is mostly found in the wet forest type (> 230 m a.s.l.) on Raoul Island, where it forms part of the subcanopy in Metrosideros-dominated forest with Coprosma acutifolia and Ascarina lucida var. lanceolata. In some places, such as the exposed ridge lines leading from Moumoukai to Mahoe it may form a major part of the forest canopy.

Features

Small multi-branched tree to 10 m tall, branchlets brittle, trunk to 1 m diam. Leaves alternate, leaflets 5-8 (us. 7), palmate, on short petiolules. Petiole to 15 cm long, sheathing branchlet at base. Petiolule of terminal leaflet obvious, of lateral leaflets shorter or subsessile. Leaflets elliptic to elliptic-ovate, membranous, greenish grey above, paler below, margin bluntly dentate-serrate in distal half or entire, obliquely cuneately narrowing to petiolule, acute; midveins and main lateral veins obvious above and below; teminal lamina 10-15 x 3.5-7 cm, lateral leaflets smaller. Inflorescence a terminal, compound, compact umbel; primary rays (branchlets) c. 8, 4 cm long; secondary rays 8-12, 2-3 cm long. Male flowers to 1 cm diam., pale yellowish green; petals acute; anthers cream, filaments > petal. Ovary 2-loculed, each containing 1 ovules; style branches 2, spreading. Fruit fleshy, purple, c. 5 mm diam., laterally compressed, style branches retained on an apical disc. 2 Seeds per fruit, broadly-ovate or oblong, wrinkled, 3.5-4.2 mm long.

Similar Taxa

Similar to Pseudopanax arboreus, but in that species the leaves are darker green with coarse teeth around all the margin and with a more open inflorescence. It also typically has 5 leaflets. The natural distribution of these two species does not overlap.

Flowering

February - August

Flower Colours

Green,Yellow

Fruiting

March - February

Propagation Technique

Easily grown from fresh seed and semi-hardwood cuttings. Although frost-tender this species has been successfully cultivated as far south as Wellington (Petone). Like most other species in the genus it is very fast growing, and inclined to be short-lived. Plants do best in semi-shade, planted in a free draining, moist soil. Like many of the species in this genus Kermadec five finger is prone to phytophora and verticillium wilt.

Threats

Listed only because it is a local, narrow-range endemic confined to a single island within the Kermadec island group. Prior to the successful goat eradication, this species was extremely uncommon and easily qualified as threatened. Since the last goat was shot on the island in 1983 this species has made a spectacular recovery and it is now abundant throughout the island.

Chromosome No.

2n = 48

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

Yes

Endemic Family

No

Where To Buy

Not commercially available

Notes on taxonomy

This species was transferred back to Neopanax Allan by: Frodin, D.G.; Govaerts, R. 2003: World Checklist and Bibliography of Araliaceae, The Cromwell Press, European Union. Phylogenetic studies reveal that Kermadec five finger is nested within the New Zealand five finger (P. arboreus). Despite that finding both species are amply distinct from each other.

Attribution

Description adapted from Sykes (1993), Allan (1961) and Webb and Simpson (2001).

References and further reading

Sykes, W.R. 1993. Reinstatement of Pseudopanax kermadecensis (W.R.B.Oliv.) Philipson (Araliaceae)

Allan, H.H. 1961. Flora of NZ, Vol. I. Government Printer, Wellington, Eagle, A. 2000. Eagle's complete trees and shrubs of NZ. Te Papa Press, Wellington

Webb, C.J. &  Simpson, M.J.A. 2001. Seeds of NZ gymnosperms and dicotyledons. Manuka Press, Christchurch.

This page last updated on 8 Jan 2014