The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Pimelea declivis

Etymology

Pimelea: from the Greek pimele, referring to the seeds

Current Conservation Status

2018 - Threatened - Nationally Critical

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

2012 - Data Deficient
2009 - Data Deficient

Authority

Pimelea declivis C.J.Burrows

Family

Thymelaeaceae

Brief Description

Low shrub to 50cm tall with hairy twigs bearing pairs of narrow leaves that are slightly hairy underneath and on margin (lens needed) with slightly hairy white flowers and red fruit inhabiting limestone outcrops from south Marlborough to south Canterbury. Leaves 5-14mm long by 2-3.5mm wide.

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Trees & Shrubs

Synonyms

None (first described in 2011)

Distribution

Endemic. New Zealand: South Island (southeastern Marlborough, north and south Canterbury)

Habitat

Lowland to lower montane, Mostly found in sparse grassland and grey scrub associated with limestone ridges, scarps, cliffs, outcrops, screes and boulder heaps. Pimelea declivis is also known sparingly from igneous rock.

Features

Erect, suberect or decumbent, much-branched shrub up to 500 mm tall and 600 mm wide. Branching mainly sympodial. Young branchlets light brown, moderately densely covered in short, appressed hairs; internodes 2-3mm long, older stems brown to grey, some up to 300 mm diameter. Node buttresses lunate, not prominent on leafless stems. Leaves decussate, ascending, becoming patent, on short (0.3-0.5mm) often red petioles. Lamina 5.0-14 × 2.0-3.5 mm, medium glaucous-green, ovate or elliptic, flat or slightly keeled; tip acute, but blunt-pointed; base cuneate; abaxial surface with sparse hairs, mainly along margins and mid-vein, near tip; older leaves glabrous; stomata on both adaxial and abaxial leaf surfaces. Inflorescences terminal, 4-14-flowered; involucral bracts 4, usually broader than ordinary leaves (12 × 5 mm), not hiding the flowers. Receptacle covered with abundant short hair. Plants gynodioecious. Flowers white, scented, on short (0.8 mm) pedicels, densely hairy outside, inside sparsely hairy in tube and ovaryportion. Female tube 3.5 mm long, ovary portion 3 mm, calyx lobes 2.0 × 1.6 mm; hermaphrodite tube 6 mm long, ovary portion 2.5 mm, calyx lobes 3 × 2 mm. Anther dehiscence introrse. Ovary wall thin, summit very hairy. Fruits ovoid, fleshy, red 5 × 3 mm. Seeds narrow-ovoid 2.8 × 1.5 mm, thin crest.

Similar Taxa

Distinguished from Pimelea oreophila with which it sometimes grows by its usually erect, bushy habit and larger leaves; and from P. cryptica (which is endemic to the south Wellington coastline) by the typically stiffly erect branches, hairier leaves, and red fruits. Pimelea declivis is (as far as is known) an eastern South Island endemic which is mostly confined to limestone outcrops, associated talus and soils.

Flowering

October - May

Fruiting

Unknown

Propagation Technique

Unknown. Probably easily grown from semi-hard and hardwood cuttings.

Threats

Burrows (2011) outlines a range of threats which include the past quarrying of limestone, competition from weeds (especially invasive shrubs such as broom (Cytisus scoparius) and briar (Rosa rubiginosa), farming, pine plantations (and the spread of wildling pines from these), and introgression with other Pimelea. Unfortunately none of these threats are quantified, and the species was not assessed using the New Zealand Threat Classification Manual (Townsend et al. 2008) and so has no valid threat assessment. At this stage then it seems that based on the evidence presented by Burrows (2011) an interim threat assessment of "Data Deficient" is probably appropriate.

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

This page last updated on 27 Oct 2019