The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Coprosma waima

Etymology

Coprosma: from the Greek kopros 'dung' and osme 'smell', referring to the foul smell of the species, literally 'dung smell'

Common Name(s)

None known

Current Conservation Status

2012 - Threatened - Nationally Endangered

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 - Threatened - Nationally Endangered
2004 - Threatened - Nationally Endangered

Qualifiers

2012 - RR
2009 - CD, DP, RR

Authority

Coprosma waima A.P.Druce

Family

Rubiaceae

Brief Description

Shrub with pairs of large leathery leaves directly attached to the stem inhabiting upland Waima forest in Northland. Leaves 5-18cm long (depending on shading), with a prominent pale central vein on the upper surface. Small pale tooth on pale stem between leaf bases. Fruit orange, clustered on short stalks.

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

COPWAI

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Trees & Shrubs

Synonyms

None

Distribution

Endemic. North Island, Waima Forest.

Habitat

A species of cloud forest which now primarily occurs on cliff faces. It is suspected that this habitat is probably not entirely natural; as the species is rather palatable and so the cliffs are probably acting as a refugia from goats and other browsing animals which frequent this species only known habitats.

Features

Upright, sparingly branched dioecious shrub 1-2(-3) m tall. Stem internodes 10-20-100(-150) mm. Leaves subsessile. Petioles 0.5-1 mm long. Leaves 50 x 30 mm in the open, 180 x 70 mm in shade, dark green to yellow green, glossy, oblong to narrowly ovate-oblong, subcoriaceous to coriaceous, apex mucronate, deflexed forming a conspicuous "drip tip". Leaf base cordate, with each lobe often extending sufficient to almost clasp the adjacent lobe. Domatia of the pit type, present in axils of main veins, but sparingly so in shade leaves. Internode stipules up to 7 mm long, stipular sheath thin, 1 mm long; apex, upper surface and marginal parts of under surface with glandular denticles, these numerous. Inflorescences lateral in 3-4 opposite pairs towards tips of main leafy stem, multi-branched. Flowers (3-)10-25(-30), aggregated into 1-4 clusters with 3-9(-13) flowers per cluster.

Similar Taxa

None. The distinctive, large, opposite, shortly petiolate (appearing almost sessile), ovate-oblong leaves and cordate to almost completely amplexicaul leaf bases are unique to this species.

Flowering

April to August

Fruiting

October to March but some fruit may be present throughout the year

Propagation Technique

Easily grown from semi-hardwood cuttings. Fresh seed germinates easily. In cultivation this species readily hybridizes with C. robusta Raoul, and C. grandifolia Hook.f. Hybrids with C. parviflora Hook.f. have also been reported, and it seems likely that given the opportunity this species will cross with any Coprosma species. This species does best in a semi-shaded, cool and/or damp site, and it should be planted in a free draining, humus enriched soil. Plants are prone to sudden collapse during periods of dry or humid weather.

Threats

Threatened by browsing animals such as goats, cattle, horses and possums. Since its discovery in 1986 many browsing animals have been eliminated from the area, but goats and especially possums remain a threat. One unexpected consequence of animal control has been the spectacular regeneration of Coprosma grandifolia which now grows admixed with C. waima. Because of this hybrids are now commonly seen between both species, and there are concerns that hybrids could threaten the long term viability of C. waima. Based on recent field surveys it is clear that very few mature specimens of C. waima remain in the wild, and most are found on the steep cliff faces on the southern side of Hauturu. It may move into a higher category of threat.

Chromosome No.

2n = 44

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

Life Cycle and Dispersal

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

This page last updated on 19 Dec 2014