The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Olearia quinquevulnera

Etymology

Olearia: Derived from the latinised name (Olearius) of the 17th century German botanist Adam Oelenschlager
quinquevulnera: With five marks

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 - DP, PD, Sp
2009 - CD, DP

Authority

Olearia quinquevulnera Heenan

Family

Asteraceae

Brief Description

Bushy shrub with zig-zagging tangled branches bearing uneven-edge dark-green leaves that are white underneath inhabiting scattered open upland areas from the Central North Island to north Canterbury. Leaves 3.2-13.4mm long, about as wide as long, small teeth on edge may have a small purple blotch. Seeds fluffy, conspicuous.

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Trees & Shrubs

Synonyms

Olearia capillaris Buchanan (= Olearia xcapillaris Buchanan)

Distribution

Endemic. North and South Islands but disjunct. In the North Island known from Te Urewera National Park (Huiarau Range (Mt Maungapohatu and Mt Manuoha)), Erua, Mt Taranaki and adjacent Pouakai Range. In the South Island from several areas in North West Nelson, and from a single site in North Canterbury (Thompson River)

Habitat

Montane to subalpine, on valley floors, on forest margins, clearings, amongst rocks, below cliffs and in subalpine scrub, often in poorly drained or permanently wet soils.

Features

Shrub 2.2 x 2 m. branches upright to spreading, outer bark light grey to light grey-brown. Branchlets slightly to prominently flexuose, 2-3 mm diameter, light brown to cream brown, slender, terete, glabrous to sparsely hairy, diverging between 20 and 40 degrees, nodes up to 30 mm apart; brachyblasts sometimes present, up to 10 mm long. Leaves alternate, lamina 3-13.4 x 3-11.5 mm, broadly elliptic to orbicular, with cream to fulvous T-hairs; abaxial surface densely hairy; adaxialy surface dull green, often red-purple toward base, sparsely hairy to glabrate, midrib and main lateral veins prominent on both surfaces; base cuneate to obtuse; margin sometimes slightly undulate, red-purple, with 2-7 teeth that are surrounded by red-purple blotches; apex obtuse; petiole 1.7-8.5 mm, sparsely to moderately hairy or glabrate. Inflorescences corymbose, capitula 3-5 per corymb; corymb moderately to densely covered with appressed T-hairs, rachis 2.8-26 mm long, pedicels 1.1-16 mm long; bracteoles subtending each capitulum 1-2.4 x 0.3-0.8 mm, spathulate, narrowly-lanceolate to linear, apex subacute to obtuse, base cuneate, sparsely to moderately hairy on both surfaces. Involucre cylindric; bracts 13-18, 3-4-seriate, spreading at maturity; midrib and central part of both surfaces green, outer part of both surfaces red to pink-red, abaxial surface of outer bracts with hairs on midrib, abaxial surface of inner bracts glabrous; apices acute to subobtuse, tufted with hairs; margins fimbriate in distal portion; bases cuneate to attenuate; outer bracts 0.8-1.3 x 0.3-0.6 mm, broadly elliptic to shortly-lanceolate; inner bracts 3-4.2 x 0.7-1 mm, lanceolate. Florets 3-8, female florets 2-4, limb white, 4.2-4.3 x 0.7-1.3 mm, glabrous; tube 2-2.8 mm, sparsely hairy; perfect florets 1-4, corolla usually with glandular hairs near apex; lobes 5, 0.6-0.8 x 0.3-0.4 mm, narrowly triangular, deflexed at maturity, white; tube 3.4-3.6 mm, sparselyhairy. Anthers 1.7-1.8 mm long, filaments 1.4-1.7 mm, glabrous. Style of female and perfect florets 3-3.1 mm; style arms 1-1.5 mm, cream. Cypsela 2-2.3 mm, henna to red-brown, narrowly oblong, somewhat compressed and angular in section; base obtuse, ribs 5, narrow, raised, moderately covered in white antrorse eglandular hairs. Pappus 2.5-4.5 mm long, pale orange-yellow.

Similar Taxa

None. The filiramulate, divaricate, flexuous branches and branchlets, and small elliptic to orbicular 2-7 toothed leaves, basally surrounded by prominent red-purple blotching are unique to this species.

Flowering

October - January (-February)

Flower Colours

Cream

Fruiting

January - April (-May)

Propagation Technique

Can be grown from fresh seed and cuttings but generally difficult to maintain. Seems to survive best in a permanently damp soil in a sheltered site. Dislikes humidity and drought will generally kill it. Very prone to sudden collapse in hot weather and prone to soil borne fungal diseases such as Phytophora and Verticillum wilt.

Threats

This is a highly disjunct species which in parts of its range can be very common and at others extremely scarce. At all known sites hybrids with O. arborescens (G.Forst.) Cockayne et Laing (= O. xcapillaris Buchanan) are present. Despite its unusual distribution the majority of the known populations appear to be thriving. The largest populations are those centred on Mt Manuoha in Te Urewera National Park.

Chromosome No.

2n = 108

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

This page last updated on 7 May 2014