Species

Coriaria kingiana

Etymology

Coriaria: From the Latin corium 'hide', possibly from the use of some species for tanning leather

Common Name(s)

Small-leaved tutu

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

Coriaria kingiana Colenso

Family

Coriariaceae

Brief Description

Low-growing bushy spreading shrub consisting of many erect branches bearing dark green pointed wavy leaves 12-15mm long by 5-10mm wide inhabiting the upland North Island. Branches square in cross-section, soft, fuzzy. Leaves widest towards the base, with a pair of obvious side veins. Flowers arranged in a 5-7cm long spike.

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

CORKIN

The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Trees & Shrubs

Synonyms

Coriaria lurida var. undulata Cockayne et Allan; Coriaria lurida complex sensu Allan (1961)

Threats

Not Threatened

Chromosome No.

2n = 70

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

Life Cycle and Dispersal

Fleshy berries are dispersed by frugivory (Thorsen et al., 2009).

Poisonous plant

All Coriaria species are poisonous especially the seed inside the black berries. Click on this link for more information about Poisonous native plants.

References and further reading

Thorsen, M. J.; Dickinson, K. J. M.; Seddon, P. J. 2009. Seed dispersal systems in the New Zealand flora. Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 11: 285-309

This page last updated on 2 Jul 2014