Species

Geniostoma ligustrifolium var. ligustrifolium

Etymology

Geniostoma: the tribe with pitted seed
ligustrifolium: From the genus Ligustrum privet and the Greek word phylum 'leaf', meaning privet-leaved

Common Name(s)

hangehange

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

Geniostoma ligustrifolium A.Cunn. var. ligustrifolium

Family

Loganiaceae

Brief Description

Shrub bearing pale green pointed leaves that are silvery pale underneath. Leaves thin, 5-7cm long by 2-3cm wide. Flowers small, green, slightly hairy, in clusters at base of leaf. Fruit a dry capsule splitting in two to showing the small orange seeds.

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Trees & Shrubs

Synonyms

Geniostoma rupestre var. ligustrifolium (A.Cunn.) B.J.Conn

Flower Colours

Green,White

Threats

Not Threatened

Chromosome No.

2n = 40

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

Life Cycle and Dispersal

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

Notes on taxonomy

The decision by Conn (1987) to treat the Geniostoma ligustrifolium as a variety of G. rupestre J.R.Forst. et G.Forst. does not accurately reflect the situation in this country. G. ligustrifolium var. ligustrifolium is sympatric with var. crassum (also treated as G. rupestre var. crassum by Conn in Connor & Edgar (1987)) on the Surville Cliffs and with var. majus (treated by Conn (1980) as a synonym of G. rupestre var. ligustrifolium) on the Three Kings Islands. In these locations occasional hybrids occur but otherwise the three taxa remain distinct (see Murray & de Lange 1999). Therefore the NZPCN follow Murray & de Lange (1999) and prefer to regard all three taxa as distinct from each other and G. rupestre.

References and further reading

Conn, B.J. 1980: A taxonomic revision of Geniostoma subg. Geniostoma (Loganiaceae). Blumea 26: 245-364.

Connor, H.E.; Edgar, E. 1987: Name changes in the indigenous New Zealand flora, 1960–1986 and Nomina Nova IV, 1983–1986. New Zealand Journal of Botany 25: 115-170.

Murray, B.G.; de Lange, P. J. 1999: Contributions to a chromosome atlas of the New Zealand flora - 35. Miscellaneous families. New Zealand Journal of Botany 37: 511-521

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 26 Sep 2014