The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Olearia angulata

Etymology

Olearia: Derived from the latinised name (Olearius) of the 17th century German botanist Adam Oelenschlager
angulata: angled

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 - Data Deficient

Qualifiers

2012 - Sp

Authority

Olearia angulata Kirk

Family

Asteraceae

Brief Description

Small rounded tree bearing wavy leathery pale green oblong leaves inhabiting coastal sites in northern North Island. Twigs ridged and square in cross-section. Leaves very blunt at base, 4-7cm long by 2cm wide, edge very wavy, veins sunken into upper surface. Flowers white, in clusters. Seeds fluffy.

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Trees & Shrubs

Synonyms

Olearia albida var. angulata (Kirk) Allan

Distribution

Endemic. Known with certainty from Te Paki, and in scattered sites along the western North Island coastline to near Mokau. At times it can be locally common - such as along the southern Kawhia Harbour. But it is more usually uncommon, often represented at any one site by only a handful of trees. Outside Te Paki there seem to be no genuine eastern North Island occurrences.

Habitat

A coastal tree of rocky headlands, cliff faces, ultramafic shrublands and dune forests. Usually found in the most exposed situations.

Features

Shrub or small tree up to 5 m tall. Branchlets 4-angled, grooved, clad in tightly appressed to loose somewhat resinous white hairs. Leaves 4-7 cm, hairless, resinous yellow-green to dark green above, clad in firmly appressed, white to silvery-white hairs beneath, very leathery, oblong (rarely ovate-oblong), margins very strongly undulate. Inflorescences on stout stalks 3-5 cm long, capitula (flower heads) numerous, compact, each 4-5 mm long, with 2-5 florets (flowers) only. Cypsela (seed) surmounted by yellowish, very coarse, pappus (whorl of hairs making up the "parachute" above the seed).

Similar Taxa

A distinct, though somewhat cryptic species, often confused with O. albida but distinguished by its much smaller stature, typical oblong leaves whose margins always strongly undulate (in shade or sun), usually resinous yellow-green foliage (though dark green colour variants occur throughout the species range), smaller, compact inflorescences, with shorter, fewer-flowered capitula, by the coarser pappus hairs, and by the chromosome number (2n = c. 432 in O. angulata, 2n = c. 324 in O. albida).

Flowering

January to May

Flower Colours

White

Fruiting

March to July

Propagation Technique

Easily grown from semi-hardwood cuttings, and from fresh seed.

Threats

Olearia angulata is probably not threatened. However, it is not well known, easily confused with the more widespread O. albida, and so there are few recent accurate herbarium and site records.

Chromosome No.

2n = c.432

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

This page last updated on 7 May 2014