The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Pimelea oreophila subsp. ephaistica

Etymology

Pimelea: from the Greek pimele, referring to the seeds
oreophila: Mountain lover

Common Name(s)

Pimelea

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 - Data Deficient

Authority

Pimelea oreophila subsp. ephaistica C.J.Burrows

Family

Thymelaeaceae

Brief Description

Very low growing sprawling shrub with hairy thin flexible twigs bearing pairs of dark blue-green pointed leaves that are sparsely hairy underneath, hairy white flowers and red fruit inhabiting the central North Island. Twigs 2.5 to 3.5mm thick. Leaves 4-8mm long by 2-4mm wide, widest at base.

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Trees & Shrubs

Synonyms

None (first described in 2011)

Distribution

Endemic. New Zealand: North Island (Pureora, Hauhangaroa Range, Central Volcanic Plateau, western Kaimanawa and northern Ruahine Ranges)

Habitat

Montane to alpine, on developed and recent (skeletal) soils derived from tephra amongst tall and short tussock grasslands, in open shrublands, low scrub and in Schoenus pauciflorus sedgelands.

Features

Procumbent, trailing shrub, with few to many, slender (2.0–2.5 mm), brown, flexible young stems, these invested with a moderate cover of short, appressed hairs, internodes 2–4mm long, node buttresses lunate to elongate, not prominent on leafless stems. Older stems slender (to 3.5 mm), dark brown, up to 500 mm long, occasionally with adventitious roots, sometimes climbing in upright shrubs. Reduced in stature on exposed sites with rocky substrates, sometimes forming short-stemmed, appressed rosettes. Branching mainly sympodial. Young stems brown, moderately densely covered in short or moderately long, white, grey or sometimes yellowish appressed hair cover; older stems darker brown, glabrate. Internodes of young stems 1–5mm long. Node buttresses lunate to elongate, or sometimes extending the full length of internodes, with bands of hair between; usually not very prominent on leafless stems. Leaves decussate, on short (0.5–1.0 mm), often red petioles, ascending at first, usually becoming patent, often with a distichous appearance on prostrate stems. Lamina 4–8 × 2–4 mm, glaucous or medium to dark green, usually ovate, narrow, flat, often with a red margin flat, mid-vein evident; tip acute but usually blunt-pointed, sometimes obtuse; base cuneate; abaxial hairs short, white, usually sparse on margins, midrib and tip, often becoming glabrous as leaves age; stomata on both adaxial and abaxial surfaces. Inflorescences terminal, 5–15-flowered, receptacle densely covered in short hairs. Involucral bracts 4, the same size as ordinary leaves, or larger (6 × 4 mm). Plants gynodioecious. Flowers white, fragrant, on short pedicels (0.3 mm) densely covered with short hairs outside; inside hairless. Female tube 2.5–4.0 mm long, ovary portion 3 mm, calyx lobes 1–2 × 1 mm; hermaphrodite tube 4–6 mm long, ovary portion 2 mm, calyx lobes 2.0–3.0 × 1.5–2.0 mm. Anther dehiscence introrse. Ovary with dense clump of short or long hairs at summit. Fruits ovoid, fleshy, red, 4 × 3 mm. Seeds ovoid 2.7 × 2.3 mm.

Similar Taxa

The only subspecies of P. oreophila to be found in the North Island where it is endemic to the central North Island Volcanic Plateau and adjacent western Kaimanawa and northern Ruahine Ranges. It is distinguished from the other subspecies of Pimelea oreophila by the usually flat, ovate leaves whose abaxial surface margins, mid-vein and apices are sparsely covered in short, caducous hairs; and by the slender young stems (2.0–2.5mm thick).

Flowering

September - February

Flower Colours

White

Fruiting

Unknown

Propagation Technique

Easily grown from semi-hardwood and hardwood cuttings. Does best in a well drained soil and planted in a sunny situation (such as in a rockery or pot)

Threats

Probably not threatened. However as Pimelea oreophila subsp. lepta was not assessed by Burrows (2011) using the New Zealand Threat Classification Manual (Townsend et al. 2008) it has no valid threat assessment. So at this stage it seems best to recommend a interim threat assessment of "Data Deficient".

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

This page last updated on 6 Jan 2014