The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Clematis petriei

Etymology

Clematis: From the Greek klema 'vine', alluding to the vine-like habit of many species
petriei: Named after Donald Petrei (1846 -1925), Otago botanist

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 - Sparse

Qualifiers

2012 - Sp

Authority

Clematis petriei Allan

Family

Ranunculaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

CLEPET

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Lianes and Related Trailing Plants

Synonyms

None

Distribution

Endemic. South Island, eastern from the Awatere River (Marlborough) south to Central Canterbury (Waimakariri and upper Rakaia Rivers)

Habitat

Lowland to montane within inland (intermonatne) basins. Usually in grey scrub and associated sparse treeland developed on river terraces or on colluvium, or at the bases of semi-stable alluvial fans. Sometimes found in grey scrub that has developed below semi-stable talus and scree slopes.

Features

Evergreen, woody dioecious vine usuually found twinning throuh shrubs within grey scrub, or within small trees along alluvial flats. Stems up to 2 m long and 5-6 mm diameter, ribbed, sparsely hairy when young, glabrate to glbarous when mature, ascending and spreading. leaves 3-foliolate, subcoriaceous to coriaceous, green to dark green. Leaflets 10-30 x 4-18 mm, simple to pinnate; broadly ovate to entire, crenate to deeply pinnatifid, apices of leaflets and pinnae apiculate, bases often oblique, attenuate to truncate; petioles andpetiolules 10-25 mm long, channelled, glabrous to sparsely hairy, twinning. Inflorescences axilalry; flowers solitary, or in 2-6-flowered clusters in leaf axils, or in dichasial cymes of 5-10; flowers 12-35 mm diameter. Pedicels 10-40 mm, hairy; bracts 6-14 x 1.7-6 mm. inserted about middle of pedicel, leaf-like, fused, spathulate, tinged red at base, apex obtuse or rounded both surfaces sparsely to moderately hairy. Male flowers with sepals 6-8, 5.5-20 x 1.7-9 mm, yellow-green, narrowly elliptic, elliptic, lanceolate to ovate, undersides covered with pilose to villous hairs, upper surface glabrous, apex subacute to obtuse; stamens 14-24, glabrous, filaments 1.8-7.4 mm; anthers 2-2.3 x 0.6 mm, linear-oblong, cream. Female flowers with sepals 6-8, 6-15 x 3.5-5 mm, yellow-green, narrowly elliptic, elliptic, lanceolate to ovate, undersides pilose to villous, upper surface glabrous, apex subacute to obtuse; carpels 30-40, ovary 1.2 x 0.4 mm, glabrous; style 4.4.-5.3 x 1.2-0.4 mm, curved; staminodes 6-12 in outer whorl only. Achenes 3.5-4.4 x 1.5-2.3 mm, chesnut-brown, glabrous, pappus hairs spreading.

Similar Taxa

Allied to C. forsteri, and often included in this species by past treatments (which adopted a very broad circumscription for the species). C. petrei differs from C. forsteri by its fruity rather than spicy-scented flowers; uniformly yellow green rather than cream and basally red-brown coloured sepals; glabrous rather than hairy upper sepal surface; chestnut-brown rather than light to dark brown (red-brown) coloured, glabrous instead of finely hairy achenes; and distinctly spathulate rather than linear to elliptic, obtuse floral bracts with obtuse or rounded rather than acute to obtuse apices.

Flowering

October - January

Flower Colours

Green,Yellow

Fruiting

December - March

Propagation Technique

Easily grown but resents humidity and water logged soils. Does best in a free draining, fertile soil with a cool root run and plenty of sun. Can be grown from fresh seed and semi-hardwood cuttings.

Threats

Widespread, often sparsely distributed but at times it can be locally common

Chromosome No.

2n = 16

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

Life Cycle and Dispersal

Pappate achenes are dispersed by wind (Thorsen et al., 2009).

This page last updated on 19 Dec 2014