The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Pimelea mimosa

Etymology

Pimelea: from the Greek pimele, referring to the seeds
mimosa: Derived from the Greek word mimos: meaning 'mimic'. Probably given in allusion to the similarity of this species to Pimelea barbata.

Common Name(s)

Pimelea

Current Conservation Status

2012 - 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

2009 - Threatened - Nationally Critical

Qualifiers

2012 - OL, RF

Authority

Pimelea mimosa C.J.Burrows

Family

Thymelaeaceae

Brief Description

Low growing sprawling shrub with hairy twigs bearing pairs of narrow pointed hairy leaves, hairy white flowers and red fruit inhabiting Te Mata peak in the Hawkes Bay. Leaves pointing out from stem, 9-20mm long by 2.5-5mm wide, hairs glisten.

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Trees & Shrubs

Synonyms

None - first described in 2011

Distribution

Endemic. New Zealand: North Island, Hawkes Bay (Te Mata peak)

Habitat

On exposed limestone ridge and cliffs and scree slopes below them.

Features

Procumbent to decumbent medium- sized shrubs to 250 mm high, with stems to 500 mm long. Branching mainly sympodial. Young branchlets brown, densely covered by moderately long, white hairs. Internodes 2-6 mm long; older stems glabrate, brown to grey-brown. Node buttresses short (0.2 mm), lunate, masked by hairs on young branchlets, not prominent on leafless stems. Leaves decussate, on short petioles (0.5-1.0 mm), ascending at first, soon becoming patent or deflexed, persistent. They may appear to be distichous on appressed branches. Lamina to 9.0-20.0 × 2.5-5.0 mm, varying in width from plant to plant, medium green, adaxially concave or slightly keeled, elliptic to narrow-elliptic, acute, base cuneate; both surfaces of young leaves uniformly densely covered by short, glistening, white, appressed hairs. Mid-vein usually not evident. Older leaves become glabrate and appear dull-green. Stomata on both surfaces. Inflorescences terminal, 2-7-flowered, compact. Involucral bracts 4, the same size as, or slightly wider than, adjacent leaves (9-12 × 4-6 mm) partly hiding the flowers. Receptacle densely covered in short hairs. Plants gynodioecious. Flowers white, on short (0.5 mm) pedicels, densely hairy outside, inside hairless. Female tube 4 mm long, ovary portion 3 mm, calyx lobes 2.0 × 1.2 mm; hermaphrodite tube 6 mm long, ovary portion 2 mm, calyx lobes 2.5 × 2.0 mm. Anther dehiscence introrse. Ovary sparsely hairy at summit. Fruits ovoid, fleshy, red, 5.0-6.0 × 3.5-4.0 mm. Seeds narrow-ovoid, 3.2 × 2.0 mm, crest thin.

Similar Taxa

Allied to Pimelea barbata from which it is distinguished by the leaves which are up to 22 mm long. Pimelea mimosa is geographically isolated (allopatric) from both P. barbata subspecies, and is one of two taxa now known to be endemic to Te Mata Peak - the other is Chionochloa flavicans f. temata.

Flowering

December - June

Flower Colours

White

Fruiting

January - July

Propagation Technique

Easily propagated from semi-hardwood cuttings and layered pieces. An excellent rockery plant which flourishes in a sunny, well drained rich soil. Intolerant of water logging. The species is known to tolerate moderate competition and humidity as well as both full sun and light shade where is has been cultivated around Auckland and the Waikato. Cultivation (at least in the short term) may be all that prevents this species from extinction

Threats

Listed by de Lange et al.(2009) in Appendix 2 as Taxonomically Indeterminate/Nationally Critical Pimelea aff. aridula (a) (CHR 282959; Te Mata Peak) qualified OL (one Location) and RF (Recruitment Failure). Pimelea mimosa Burrows (2011) stated that this species is now extinct in the wild and survives only in cultivation. However, recently (2011) Pimelea mimosa was confirmed as still present on Te Mata Peak by NZPCN member Philip Smith. Although this is good news there is good data to show that the Te Mata peak population of this species has been in serious decline for many years, due to fires, weed invasion and over-collecting (ironically) by botanists.

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

This page last updated on 10 Apr 2014