The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Dracophyllum cockayneanum

Etymology

Dracophyllum: dragon leaf, from its likeness to the dragon tree of the Canary Islands
cockayneanum: Named after Leonard Cockayne FRS (7 April 1855 - 8 July 1934) who is regarded as New Zealand's greatest botanist and a founder of modern science in New Zealand

Common Name(s)

none known

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 - At Risk - Naturally Uncommon
2004 - Range Restricted

Qualifiers

2012 - RR
2009 - IE

Authority

Dracophyllum cockayneanum Du Rietz

Family

Ericaceae

Brief Description

Grass tree up to 12 m tall, confined to subantarctic islands. Leaves grass like, of two types (juvenile and adult), the leaves diagnostically stiffly, erect with the bases mostly covered in white tomentum and with the margins prominently ciliated. Flowers white, in terminal racemes.

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Trees & Shrubs

Synonyms

Dracophyllum longifolium var. cockayneanum (Du Rietz) W.R.B.Oliv.

Distribution

Endemic. New Zealand: Auckland and Campbell islands

Habitat

Widespread from the coast toward the main summit ridges in tussock grassland, mires and on the margins of forest (Auckland Islands only) or in recently disturbed ground.

Features

Tree 3–12 m tall. Bark on old branches brown, rough to occasionally finely fissured, young stems reddish brown. Leaves dimorphic. Juvenile leaves spirally arranged along branches, spreading; lamina sheath 15–20 × 12–14 mm; shoulders tapering to rounded, margin ciliate; lamina 100–140 × 4–6 mm, linear–triangular; adaxial surface scabrid to pubescent, abaxial surface glabrous to scabrid, margins densely pubescent; adult leaves erect to spreading; lamina sheath 12.0–18.3 × 9.0–13.0 mm, light green, coriaceous, shoulders rounded to truncate and margin ciliate in the top half; lamina 40.0–140.0 × 1.5–4.0 mm, linear to linear–triangular, adaxial surface tomentose; abaxial surface with upper half covered in scabrid hairs, slightly striated; margins serrulate and densely pubescent with 60–70 teeth per 10 mm. Inflorescence a terminal raceme on lateral branchlets; shorter than leaves, erect to drooping, dense, 30–70 mm long, linear–oblong; inflorescence bract persistent, over-topping flowers, 15–30 × 1.5–2.0 mm, subulate, adaxial surface scabrid, abaxial surface glabrous, margins ciliate. Flowers 6–20, pedicellate; flower bracts caducous, over-topping flowers, 8.0–14.0 × 3–6 mm, ovate–lanceolate to ovate; adaxial surfaces pubescent or pubescent in upper third only; abaxial surfaces glabrous, margins ciliate; pedicels straight, 1–3 mm long, glabrous to pubescent. Sepals 4.0–5.0 × 2.0–2.5 mm, ovate–lanceolate, shorter than the corolla tube, surfaces glabrous but occasionally pubescent in the top half of adaxial surface; margins ciliate. Corolla white to occasionally light pink; corolla tube 4.0–6.0 × 3.0–3.5 mm, narrowly campanulate, widened at mouth; corolla lobes reflexed,1.5–2.0 × 1.5–2.0 mm ovate–triangular, shorter than corolla tube surfaces glabrous. Stamens inserted on corolla tube in upper third, filaments 0.5–1.0 mm long; anthers included, 0.7–0.8 mm long oblong, pink. Ovary 1.5–2.0 × 1.2–2.0 mm, obovate, apex truncate; nectary scales 1.2–1.5 × 0.6–1.0 mm, rectangular, apices subacute to obtuse; style included, 1.5–2.0 mm long, glabrous, lengthening in fruit; stigma five–lobed. Fruit pedicellate, 2.5–3.5 × 3–4 mm, obovoid, light brown, apex truncate, glabrous. Seeds 0.65–0.7 mm long, filiform, light brown, testa slightly reticulate.

Similar Taxa

Dracophyllum cockayneanum is recognised by the erect stiff leaves that are mostly white tomentose in the bottom half and with the margin ciliated. The broad sheaths have rounded to truncate shoulders covered with dense white cilia (Venter 2009). The pedicel is 1–3 mm long and the flower bracts are caducous having the upper third of the adaxial surface covered in dense long white hairs. This subantarctic endemic differs from D. longifolium with which it is sympatric by the erect stiff adult leaves that are white tomentose in the bottom half, and by the rounded to truncate shoulders of the lamina sheath; by the ciliate margin of the inflorescence bract; by the sepals which are shorter than the corolla tube; and by the truncate apex of the ovary (Venter 2009).

Flowering

Throughout the year

Flower Colours

Red / Pink,White

Fruiting

Throughout the year

Propagation Technique

Difficult - should not be removed from the wild

Threats

Abundant within its narrow geographic range.

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

This page last updated on 31 Jul 2014