The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Pimelea pseudolyallii

Etymology

Pimelea: from the Greek pimele, referring to the seeds
pseudolyallii: deceptively similar to Pimelea lyallii

Common Name(s)

Pimelea

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
2009 - DP

Authority

Pimelea pseudolyallii Allan

Family

Thymelaeaceae

Brief Description

Low growing scrambling shrub with hairy twigs bearing pairs of green pointed leaves that are silkily hairy underneath and bearing hairy white flowers and red fruit inhabiting the eastern South Island. Leaves 5-15mm long by 3-6.5mm wide, hairs project beyond margin to give a silver-edged effect.

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

PIMPSE

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Trees & Shrubs

Synonyms

Pimelea pseudo-lyallii Allan

Distribution

Endemic. New Zealand. South Island (easterly in Marlborough, Canterbury, North Otago)

Habitat

Montane to alpine. In open montane beech (Nothofagus spp.) forest near bush line, subalpine scrub, amongst shrubs in tussock grassland and within tussock grassland.

Features

Robust, procumbent shrub with few to many flexible stems up to 800 × c.80 mm, but sometimes climbing in erect shrubs or tussocks; occasionally with adventitious roots. In exposed sites plant size is reduced and plants maybe appressed, with short, spreading stems. Branching sympodial and lateral. Branchlets light brown, moderately densely to sparsely covered in long, white, appressed hairs; internodes 2–6 mm long. Older stems glabrate to glabrous, smooth, dark brown. Node buttresses lunate, brown, often masked by hairs, not prominent on leafless stems. Leaves decussate, ascending at first, soon becoming patent, sometimes appearing distichous in appressed plants, on reddish petioles 0.5–1.5mm long. Lamina medium to dark green, narrow-ovate to broad-ovate or elliptic to broad-elliptic or sometimes oblong, 5.0–15 × 3.0–6.5 mm, flat or slightly keeled, margin slightly down-turned, mid-vein clearly evident, sunken adaxially; tip acute, base cuneate; abaxial surface moderately to densely covered with long, white and glistening or sometimes yellowish, appressed hairs; stomata only on abaxial leaf surface. Inflorescences terminal, loose, 5–12-flowered. Involucral bracts 4, usually wider than adjacent ordinary leaves (10–7 mm). Receptacle densely hairy, sometimes slightly convex. Plants gynodioecious. Flowers white, scented, on short (0.6 mm) pedicels, very hairy outside, inside hairless. Female tube 3–4 mm long, ovary portion wrinkled, 2.3 mm, calyx lobes 2–1 mm; hermaphrodite tube 5–6 mm long, ovary portion 2 mm, calyx lobes ascending, 2.5 × 1.4 mm. Anther dehiscence introrse. Ovary hair cover dense near summit, sparse to half way down. Fruits fleshy, red, broad–ovoid 4 × 3 mm. Seeds 2.6 × 1.3 mm.

Similar Taxa

Despite its name this species is most similar to members of the P. aridula Cockayne complex and has little resemblance to P. lyallii Hook.f. From the common South Island form of P. aridula it differs by its weakly erect, spreading (up to 0.25 x 1 m) rather than stoutly erect (up to 1 x 1 m) growth habit, green to dark leaves which are glabrate above, silky hairy beneath (rather than green and copiously silvery hairy throughout), and spreading rather than ascending. Superficially similar to the southern form of Pimelea villosa which has hairs without the long silky tips and are more olive in colour.

Flowering

November - January

Flower Colours

Cream,White

Fruiting

December - February

Propagation Technique

Easily grown from semi-hardwood cuttings. In a garden setting this species forms a somewhat sprawling sub-shrub. It has attractive pink, pinkish-white to red fruit.

Threats

Not Threatened. Apparently a naturally uncommon, biologically sparse species. Burrows (2011) notes that there is extensive introgressive hybridism present between this species and especially members of the P. oreophila complex (see Notes). Nevertheless he accepts the current threat listing of "At Risk/Naturally Uncommon" as valid.

Chromosome No.

2n = 36

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

This page last updated on 12 Dec 2014