The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Myrsine argentea

Etymology

Myrsine: myrrh
argentea: silvery

Common Name(s)

Mt Burnett Matipo

Current Conservation Status

2012 - At Risk - Declining

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 - Threatened - Nationally Endangered

Qualifiers

2012 - CD, OL
2009 - OL

Authority

Myrsine argentea Heenan et de Lange

Family

Primulaceae

Brief Description

Greyish green shrub bearing spotted leaves inhabiting Mt Burnett (near Collingwood). Leaves with small dent at tip and small dark blotch at base, 5-20mm long by 5-15mm wide. Fruit white, rarely with some pink.

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Trees & Shrubs

Synonyms

None

Distribution

Endemic. South Island, North West Nelson, Mt Burnett.

Habitat

Dolomite karrenfield and associated cloud forest.

Features

Shrub or small tree up to 9 m tall. Branches leafy throughout, upright and spreading not drooping or divaricating. Bark smooth, grey, trunks with occasional ring-like constrictions (especially near base). Leaves alternate, 5-20 x 5-15 mm, obovate to obcordate, rarely oval or orbicular, apex retuse, silver-green to pale green or cream-green, with a dark blotch at leaf-base. Females flowers solitary or in bunches of 2-4 flowers. Sepals 4, 0.75-1 x 0.75 mm, broad oval, brown to brown-pink, Petals (3-)4, 1-1.6 x 1-1.1 mm, pale yellow to yellow-pink, obovate, recurved at maturity. Male flowers in bunches of 3-4 flowers. Fruit a circular drupe, white, very rarely flushed pink at base.

Similar Taxa

Part of the M. divaricata complex. Collectively the seven species of this group can be recognised by their circular fruits and small, leafy branches. Of these species M. argentea is most likely to be confused with M. divaricata, with which it consistently shares the dark blotch at the leaf petiole junction. However, M. divaricata though variable in form, has predominantly purple drupes, and usually drooping or pendant interlaced branches.

Flowering

August to October, peaking in September

Flower Colours

Red / Pink,Yellow

Fruiting

April to May

Propagation Technique

Easily grown from fresh fruit. Can be grown from semi-hardwood cuttings, which can be slow to strike.

Threats

This species is endemic to the dolomite and dolomite limestone exposures on Mt Burnett - an area of about 6 ha. Here it is threatened by the dolomite mining of the mountain. Recent (2006) decisions to restrict dolomite mining have reduced some of this threat but the species is still at risk from the spread of weeds, particularly Mexican daisy (Erigerion karvinskianus) which colonise the open ground this species preferentially regenerates into. Mine roads and vehicles remain a constant threat because they help facilitate the spread of weeds across the mountain. It remains to be seen whether measures imposed on the mining company to control weed spread and rehabilitate old mine workings will prevent further decline in this species, and the other special plants of Mt Burnett.

Chromosome No.

2n = 46

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

This page last updated on 23 Apr 2014