Species

Olearia polita

Etymology

Olearia: Derived from the latinised name (Olearius) of the 17th century German botanist Adam Oelenschlager
polita: smooth or polished

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 - CD, RR
2009 - CD, RR

Authority

Olearia polita H.D.Wilson et Garn.-Jones

Family

Asteraceae

Brief Description

Rare widely-branched tangled shrub with reddish twigs with two ridges bearing small glossy dark-green rounded leaves that are white underneath inhabiting damp sites in the Hope Valley. Leaves 4-12mm long by 3-6mm wide, tapering abruptly to a winged stalk. Flowers small. Seeds fluffy.

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

OLEPOL

The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Trees & Shrubs

Synonyms

None

Distribution

Endemic. South Island, North West Nelson, near Wangapeka and at Glenhope.

Habitat

Lowland, riparian Silver beech (Nothofagus menziesii (Hook.f.) Oerst.) forest, where it grows in the under storey.

Features

Shrub 2-4 m tall. Branches interlacing, strongly divaricating. Bark dark red-brown maturing greyish brown. Branchlets 2-angled so forming a paired conspicuous longitudinal ridge extending along branch length. Young branchlets pubescent near tips. Internodes of long shoots 10-20(30) mm. Short shoots (brachyblasts) opposite, bearing 2-4 leaves and/or 1-5 capitula. Leaves opposite or in opposite fascicles, 4-8(-10) x 3-6(-7) mm,suborbicular, broadly obovate to spathulate, upper surface bright glossy green when fresh, glabrescent, margins red or brown, under surface coated in copious, densely appressed, short silvery white hairs, leaf apex obtuse with a minute apiculus. Petiole (0.5)1.5-3(-4) mm, reddish, narrowly winged. Juvenile leaves similar but with small denticles on leaf margins as well as apex. Capitula in clusters of (1-)2-4(-5). Florets 4-5. Achenes (seeds) 1.7-2 mm.

Similar Taxa

This species is readily distinguished from other small-leaved Olearia species by the 2-angled branchlets, and bright glossy green (appearing as if polished) upper leaf surfaces. The juvenile foliage is often deeply toothed, and this is also seen on reversion shoots.

Flowering

October - November

Flower Colours

Cream,Yellow

Fruiting

November to January

Propagation Technique

Easily grown from fresh seed and semi hardwood cuttings. Does best in semi-shade (it is an attractive shrub to plant under taller trees, particularly deciduous species) in a moist, fertile soil. The small flowers are sweetly scented, particularly at night.

Threats

Threatened by browsing animals, weeds and the fact that most populations occur on private land. Recruitment is potentially limiting some populations.

Chromosome No.

2n = 108

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

Where To Buy

Commercially available from some specialist native plant nurseries.

Attribution

Fact Sheet prepared for the NZPCN by P.J. de Lange 14 April 2006. Description by P.B Heenan and P.J. de Lange (adapted from Wilson & Garnock-Jones 1992) and subsequently published in de Lange et al. (2010).

References and further reading

de Lange, P.J.; Heenan, P.B.; Norton, D.A.; Rolfe, J.R.; Sawyer, J.W.D. 2010: Threatened Plants of New Zealand. Canterbury University Press, Christchurch.

Wilson, H.D.; Garnock-Jones, P. J. 1992: Two new species names in Olearia (Asteracae) from New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 30(3): 365-368

This page last updated on 7 May 2014