The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Scaevola gracilis

Etymology

gracilis: slender

Common Name(s)

Scaevola

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, SO
2009 - OL, TO

Authority

Scaevola gracilis Hook.f.

Family

Goodeniaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Herbs other than Composites

Synonyms

Scaevola porrecta A.C.Sm.

Distribution

Indigenous. New Zealand: Kermadec Islands group (Raoul and Macauley Islands). Also present on the Ha''apai Group (Kao and Tofua) in the northern Tonga Group

Habitat

Coastal to lowland. A primary coloniser of bare rock, boulder field, sand dunes, talus slopes and cliff faces - also growing around active fumaroles.

Features

Creeping, prostrate to suberect, semi-woody shrub forming patches up to 2 × 1 m. Branches widely spreading, clad in long silky hairs; branchlets slightly zigzag, hairs long, silky, ± appressed. Leaves on pilose, dark green to red-green flattened petioles up to 25 mm long, axils villous. Lamina 20-90 × 10-35 mm long, obliquely lanceolate-oblong to obovate, base narrowly cuneate, apex acute, upper ½ - 1/3 serrate-dentate; dark green to yellow green, sometimes reddish green or streaked with red, silky-hairy. Flowers usually solitary, subsessile, up to 25 mm across, faintly fragrant. Calyx cupular, indistinctly lobed. Corolla white with yellow throat; tube short, villous; lobes narrow-oblong, mucronate. Stamens < tube; style pilose; pollen-cup with fimbriate margins. Drupe white, fleshy, 10.0-10.5 × 8.0-10.5 mm, ovoid to subglobose. Seeds compressed, c.3 mm. long

Similar Taxa

None.

Flowering

Throughout the year

Flower Colours

White

Fruiting

Throughout the year

Propagation Technique

Easily grown from semi-hardwood cuttings and fresh seed. Plants can be induced to layer. An attractive ground cover for a sunny, well drained soil. Excellent as in a hanging basket or tub. Cold sensitive.

Threats

A naturally uncommon species confined in the New Zealand Botanical Region to the Kermadec Islands, where it is locally abundant.

Chromosome No.

2n = 48

Endemic Taxon

No

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

This page last updated on 17 Jan 2014