The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Dracophyllum townsonii

Etymology

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

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

Dracophyllum townsonii Cheeseman

Family

Ericaceae

Brief Description

Erect spindly tree with tufts of grass-like curved leaves on long curved branches inhabiting Northwest Nelson. Leaves 130-300mm long by 4.5-12mm wide, young leaves pink. Flowers white, in clusters often hidden by leaves.

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

DRATOW

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Trees & Shrubs

Distribution

Endemic. New Zealand: South Island (North–West Nelson from Whanganui Inlet to Hokitika).

Habitat

Dracophyllum townsonii is a species inhabiting moist areas in montane forest and shrubland along ridge lines, slopes and drainage lines, at elevations ranging from 152–900 m. It is typically an understorey species but it occasionally colonises open areas such as around tree falls, on slip scars or along logging tracks.

Features

A shrub or small tree, 3–6 m tall. Branches form an open candelabrum–shaped crown. Bark on old branches greyish brown to light brown, flaky, young stems reddish brown. Leaves crowded at tips of branches in a bromelioid manner, spirally arranged on young stems, young leaves distinctly pink coloured; lamina sheath light green, 15–25 × 8–22 mm, coriaceous, striate, tapering, margins membranous with the top half ciliate; lamina linear–triangular, 130.0–300.0 × 4.5–12.0 mm, surfaces glabrous, prominently striated; margins cartilaginous, serrate with 28–50 teeth per 10 mm. Inflorescence an axillary panicle situated below the leaves; shorter than the leaves, curved and drooping, dense, 40–130 mm long, pyramidal and sparingly branched; rachis and pedicels hirsute, light green; inflorescence axis, 2.2–4.2 mm in diameter; basal inflorescence branch 10–24 mm long, suberect; inflorescence bracts caducous, over-topping flowers, whitish in lower half, ovate at base, 40–50 × 10–12 mm, glabrous, margins ciliate. Flowers hidden by leaves, 30–90, in groups of 5–10 at base of inflorescence, pedicellate; bracteoles persistent, both bracteoles longer than the perianth and situated in the middle of the pedicel, 2.5–7.0 × 0.3–1.0 mm, glabrous; pedicels 0.2–0.5 mm long, pubescent. Sepals green, broadly ovate, 2.5–4.0 × 1.7–2.5 mm, shorter than corolla tube, striate, surfaces glabrous; margins ciliate in upper half. Corolla red; corolla tube campanulate, widened at mouth, 2.0–2.5 × 2.3–2.5 mm; corolla lobes reflexed, oblong, shorter than or equalling corolla tube, 1.9–2.0 × 1.0–1.2 mm; glabrous; apices obtuse; surfaces glabrous. Stamens inserted in upper third of corolla tube, filaments 1–2 mm long; anthers exserted, rectangular, light yellow and 1.3–1.5 mm long. Ovary subglobose, 1.3–1.5 × 2.0–2.5 mm; glabrous, apex round; nectary scales rectangular, 0.4–0.5 × 0.8–1.0 mm, apex retuse to irregularly toothed; style exserted, 1.5–2.0 mm long, glabrous; stigma capitate. Fruit light to reddish brown, 2–3 mm long and wide, depressed–globose, apex round and glabrous. Seeds light brown, ovoid, 1.1–1.3 mm long, testa slightly reticulate.

Similar Taxa

Dracophyllum townsonii is distinguished from other allied species by the open candelabra–shaped crown, crowded leaves at the end of branches growing in a bromelioid manner, distinctly pink coloured young leaves, small panicle (40–130 mm long) always situated below the leaves, flowers arranged in groups of 5–10 on the basal inflorescence branches, inflorescence bracts broad and contracted into subulate apices, campanulate corolla, sepals being shorter than the corolla tube, sharply reflexed corolla lobes and the exserted anthers. Within its range Dracophyllum townsonii is similar to D. menziesii from which it differs by its small tree habit, open candelabra–shaped crown, flaky rather than smooth bark, much longer inflorescence (40–50 mm compared to 50–150 mm) and by the flowers which are arranged in groups of 5–10 not three on the basal inflorescence branches. In D. townsonii the bracteole is persistent and equals the flower in length (not shorter) while the corolla tube is shorter (2.0–2.5 mm compared to 6–7 mm) with the anthers exserted not included. The ovary of D. townsonii is subglobose not obovate, and the style is shorter than that of D. menziesii (1.5–2.0 mm compared to 2.5–3.5 mm). The seeds of D. townsonii are also longer than those of D. menziesii (1.1–1.3 mm compared to 0.55–0.6 mm).

Flowering

December – March

Fruiting

February - June

Propagation Technique

Difficult. Should not be removed from the wild. Don't be tempted - take photographs instead! Dracophyllum townsonii is very occasionally stocked by specialist nurseries (take care though to check the soil surrounding the rootstock to see if the plants on offer have been dug from the wild, as plants dug from the wild often persist for a few months before dying), and if grown from seed such plants may occasionally thrive in cultivation. Does best in a semi-shaded site, planted in a humus enriched, moist (not water logged) soil.

Threats

Not Threatened

Chromosome No.

2n = 26

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

Life Cycle and Dispersal

Minute seeds are wind dispersed (Thorsen et al., 2009).

This page last updated on 30 Jul 2014