The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Nertera villosa

Etymology

Nertera: lowly, low growing
villosa: from Latin (villus) meaning shaggy or hairy.

Common Name(s)

Hairy Forest Nertera

Current Conservation Status

2012 - Not Threatened

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 - Not Threatened
2004 - Not Threatened

Authority

Nertera villosa B.H.Macmill. et R.Mason

Family

Rubiaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

NERVIL

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Herbs other than Composites

Synonyms

None (first described in 1995)

Distribution

Endemic. New Zealand: North (scarce north of 37°S (Waipoua, Little and Great Barrier Islands), otherwise common), South, Stewart and Chatham Islands.

Habitat

Lowland to montane. Usually in forest. Occasionally along river banks in frost flats. Uncommon in the drier parts of the eastern North and South Islands.

Features

Prostrate hairy herb, openly branched, rooting at nodes. Stems 0.6-1.0 mm diameter with internodes 20-40 mm long, densely hairy when young. Hairs subappressed at first, becoming patent to erect, straight, becoming bent, 3-5-celled, the distal cell tapered to a fine point. Leaves opposite, stipulate, petiolate. Stipule interpetiolar, adnate to base of petiole, broadly triangular, 1.0 × 1.5 mm, undersides hairy when young, becoming membranous. Petiole 4-10mm long, hairy. Lamina broadly ovate-deltoid, 7-15 × 5-13 mm, apex subacute, base truncate, entire, with scattered erect hairs on both surfaces, margins glabrous, rich green above, pale green or purplish below, veins obscure above, clear below, raphides obscure. Flowers bisexual, protogynous, solitary and terminal on short branchlets, sessile, closely subtended by 2 pairs of leaves. Calyx a shallow rim, irregularly lobed, lobes c.0.2 mm long. Corolla funnelform, c. 3 mm long, 4-lobed, lobes ovate, spreading, undersides translucent green with purple flecks, 1 mm long, acute, upper surface hairy, margins papillose. Stamens 4, filaments glabrous, attached to receptacle and adnate to base of corolla tube, anthers yellow, dorsifixed, exserted from corolla. Style bifid, pale green, branches diverging, exserted from corolla. Ovary inferior, 2- celled, with 1 ovule in each cell. Fruit a globose, orange to red, shining, drupe, c. 6 mm diameter, often hairy, pyrenes 2, plano-convex, c.3.5 × 2.5 mm.

Similar Taxa

Nertera villosa differs from the other six New Zealand species of Nertera by its more robust habit, and in being densely covered in erect to sub-appressed straight hairs comprised of 3-5 cells. Nertera dichondrifolia (A.Cunn.) Hook.f. is a more slender plant of northern North Island forests (mostly north of 38°S) with the leaves apiculate and the hairs more sparse, curved, and comprised of 7-13 cells

Flowering

September – January

Flower Colours

Green,Yellow

Fruiting

October – June

Propagation Technique

Easily grown from rooted pieces. An excellent ground cover for a shaded pathway or under taller shrubs and trees.

Threats

Not Threatened

Chromosome No.

2n = 44

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

This page last updated on 6 Dec 2014