The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Dracophyllum longifolium var. septentrionale

Etymology

Dracophyllum: dragon leaf, from its likeness to the dragon tree of the Canary Islands
longifolium: long leaved

Common Name(s)

Ruahine Grass Tree

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 - Data Deficient
2004 - Not Threatened

Qualifiers

2012 - DP, RR

Authority

Dracophyllum longifolium var. septentrionale W.R.B.Oliv.

Family

Ericaceae

Brief Description

Erect grassy shrub with light grey bark and many erect twigs bearing long very narrow pointed leaves inhabiting the southern North Island. Leaves 8-13cm long by 1-2.5mm wide, abruptly widening to a sheath that encloses the stem which has a finely hairy margin (lens needed), outer leaf surface rough.

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

DRALVS

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Trees & Shrubs

Distribution

Endemic. New Zealand: North Island (southern Ruahine Ranges on and close to Mt Maharahara, and north-eastern Wairarapa Taipo). Venter (2009) ambiguously (i.e. he does not cite specimens) records Dracophyllym longifolium var. septentrionale from the upper Whanganui River, and from the "Flaggstaff Mountains". On the basis of herbarum specimens it is also known from the north-eastern Wairarapa Taipo. Further survey, especially within the Ruahine Ranges would be useful.

Habitat

Dracophyllum longifolium var. septentrionale prefers dense montane shrubland on ridge lines, summit crests and on cliff faces. It sometimes extends in forest where it grows in clearings

Features

A multi–stemmed shrub or small tree, 1–2 m tall. Bark on old branches dark grey to greyish brown, smooth or finely fissured, young stems reddish brown. Leaves adult and juvenile. Juvenile leaves spirally arranged along branches, spreading; lamina sheath yellowish green, 11.0–16.0 × 6.0–7.6 mm, shoulders truncate and margin ciliate in upper half; lamina linear to linear–triangular, surfaces glabrous, 110–200 × 4–6 mm, margins serrulate with 50–60 teeth per 10 mm; adult leaves erect to spreading; lamina sheath 7.0–12.0 × 2.8–5.0 mm, striate, rounded to truncate and margin membranous with the top half ciliate; lamina linear to linear–triangular, 46.0–130.0 × 1.0–2.5 mm; adaxial surface rugose; margins serrulate with 50–60 teeth per 10 mm. Inflorescence a raceme near the apices of branches; shorter than leaves, erect, dense, 12–24 mm long, oblong; inflorescence bracts over-topping flowers, ovate–lanceolate, 28–37 × 0.6–0.7 mm, adaxial surfaces scabrid; margins serrulate, apices acuminate. Flowers 3–11, pedicellate; flower bracts caducous, over-topping flowers, coriaceous, 5.0–7.5 × 2.0–3.0 mm, broadly ovate, adaxial surfaces sericeous; margins ciliate; apices acute; pedicels straight, 0.6–1.5 mm long, glabrous. Sepals 3.5–5.0 × 1.3–2.0 mm, ovate–lanceolate, equaling corolla tube, adaxial surface pubescent in the top half; margins ciliate. Corolla white; corolla tube 3.5–4.0 × 1.5–2.0 mm, cylindrical; corolla lobes reflexed, 1.5–1.7 × 1.0–1.2 mm, ovate–triangular, shorter than corolla tube, apex subacute; surfaces glabrous. Stamens inserted onto corolla tube near the top, filaments 0.6–1.0 mm long; anthers included, 0.9–1.0 mm long, oblong, light yellow. Ovary 2.9–3.0 × 1.8–2.0 mm, obovate, apex round; nectary scales 1.5–1.6 × 0.7–0.8 mm, rectangular, apices retuse; style included, 1.3–1.5 mm long, glabrous; stigma five–lobed. Fruit pedicellate, 2.0–3.0 × 2.0–3.5 mm, obovoid, light brown, apex round, glabrous. Seeds 0.7–1.3 mm long, ovoid, cream coloured, testa slightly reticulate.

Similar Taxa

Allan (1961) included this plant within a broad circumscription of D. longifolium sens. lat. While Oliver (1952), considered it close to D. filifolium, noting that the racemes were very similar to that species but that the foliage was much wider. Venter (2009) notes that it is distinguished from all other Dracophyllum by the long and wide juvenile (110–200 × 4–6 mm) and adult (80.0–125.0 × 1.5–2.5 mm) leaves, rugose adaxial surface of the adult lamina, caducous flower bracts over-topping the flower with sericeous adaxial surfaces, short pedicels, sepals equaling the corolla tube and pubescent in the top half of the adaxial surface, stamens inserted onto the corolla tube near the top and the cream coloured ovoid seeds.

Flowering

November – February

Flower Colours

White

Fruiting

January - May

Propagation Technique

Difficult - should not be removed from the wild

Threats

Venter (pers. comm. 2001) has suggested that deer browse was severely inhibiting regeneration and may be killing mature trees but recent field work (Perrie & Shepherd 2009) did not see this. Perrie & Shepherd (2009) noted that Dracophyllym longifolium var. septentrionale was reasonably common at its type locality (Mt Maharahara, Ruahine Range), and that there this plant had a "good" population structure and was regenerating freely.

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

This page last updated on 4 Sep 2013