The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Colletia paradoxa

Etymology

Colletia: The genus name honors French botanist Philibert Collet (1643-1718).
paradoxa: From Greek 'paradoxos' = unexpected, strange, marvellous

Common Name(s)

anchor plant

Authority

Colletia paradoxa (Spreng.) Escal.

Family

Rhamnaceae

Brief Description

A nearly leafless shrub that grows slowly to 2-3 m tall with oppositely-arranged flattened 50 mm wide triangular spine-tipped gray-green photosynthetic stems (cladodes) that resemble a ship's anchor. Small creamy-white lightly-fragrant flowers at the stem joints bloom in late summer or fall. New growth has small leaves that are present only briefly.

Flora Category

Vascular - Exotic

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Trees & Shrubs

Synonyms

Colletia cruciata Gill.&Hook.

Distribution

Seedlings found near planted garden specimen near Whanganui

Flower Colours

Cream,White

Propagation Technique

seed, cuttings

Year Naturalised

2008

Origin

Uruguay, western Argentina and southern Brazil

Reason for Introduction

Ornamental

This page last updated on 19 Dec 2014