The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Dianella latissima

Etymology

Dianella: little Diana
latissima: Very wide

Common Name(s)

ink berry, blueberry

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 - Data Deficient

Authority

Dianella latissima Heenan et de Lange

Family

Xanthorrhoeaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

DIALAT

Structural Class

Monocotyledonous Herbs

Synonyms

None (first described 2007)

Distribution

Endemic.

Habitat

Coastal to montane (1-770 m a.s.l.). Exact habitat preferences are still unclear but D. latissima has been collected from coastal shrubland and forest, lowland forest, especially kauri (Agathis australis (D.Don) Lindl.) dominated forest and from cloud forest.

Features

Tussock forming, evergreen perennial herb, forming dense to open, larger and robust clumps; rhizomes horizontal, up to 100 mm long. Leaves 0.5-1.2 m long, 15-35 mm wide, uniformly green to light green, discolourous, strongly curved and drooping, more or less flat, lamina smooth and more or less glossy; margin and midrib on leaf undersides bearing prominent and coarsely scabrid teeth; apex acute; leaf sheaths equitant, tightly clasping, surface and margin pale green to light yellow-green; apex acute to subacute. Inflorescence erect to spreading, 1.0-1.5 m long, exserted above the leaves; scape slender, arching, base asymmetric and up to 100 x 75 mm diameter; panicle 500-800 mm long, branches spreading, short, regularly spaced; cauline leaves subtending branches, leaf-like at the base but reducing in size and becoming bract-like distally; cymules 3-7-flowered; pedicels 10-17 mm long, slightly recurved, terete; bracteoles 1.0-1.2 x c.0.2 mm, narrow-triangular, subtending pedicels caducous. Flowers nodding, 9-11 mm diameter, opening early morning, collapsing late afternoon, perianth segments strongly recurved ; sepals 4.4-4.5 x 1.6-1.7 mm long, white; anthers 1.3-1.4 x c.0.4 mm, yellow-brown; struma 1.3-1.4 x c.0.6 mm, oblong, yellow, minutely papillose; ovary 1.4-1.6 x 1.1-1.3 mm. green, more or less globular; style 2.0-2.2 mm long, white. Berry 8-20 x 7-10 mm, ovoid to oblong, grey-white and dull to strong violet-blue and glossy, pericarp spongy. Seeds 1.8-2.1 x 2.3-3.0 mm, ovoid, black, shiny.

Similar Taxa

Distinguished from D. haematica Heenan et de Lange and D. nigra Colenso by the tussock forming habit, with dense to loose large, robust, clumps, horizontally spreading rhizomes up to 100 mm long; pale green to yellow-green leaf sheaths; uniformly green to light green, curved, drooping leaves up to 1.2 m long and 35 mm wide with prominent, teeth on the leaf margins and midrib of the leaf underside, acute leaf apex; inflorescences exposed from leaves, oblong (1.3-1.4 mm long) struma; and by the styles which are 2.0-2.2 mm long cf 1.4-1.5 mm long in D. latissima and 1.7-2.1 mm long in D. nigra. Dianella latissima does not grow in wetlands.

Flowering

September - November

Flower Colours

Brown,White

Fruiting

November - May

Propagation Technique

Easily grown from the division of whole plants and from fresh seed. A very attractive species that has huge horticultural potential on account of its larger growth habit, and wider, light green leaves.

Threats

Probably not threatened but its exact distribution and national abundance needs clarification. Indications are that D. latissima is not so much threatened as it is not yet known to botanists. It seesm to be very common in some parts of Northland and Great and Little Barrier Islands. It is very wide ranging and it popular occurs throughout the North Island. Previously regarded (as Dianella aff. nigra (a) (AK 256873; Hauturu)) as Data Deficient in de Lange et al., 2004, Threatened and uncommon plants of New Zealand, New Zealand Journal of Botany 42: 45-76.

Chromosome No.

2n = 16

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

Life Cycle and Dispersal

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

This page last updated on 22 Oct 2014