The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Dracophyllum menziesii

Etymology

Dracophyllum: dragon leaf, from its likeness to the dragon tree of the Canary Islands

Current Conservation Status

2012 - Not Threatened

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 - Not Threatened
2004 - Not Threatened

Authority

Dracophyllum menziesii Hook.f.

Family

Ericaceae

Brief Description

Low-growing reddish shrub with multiple branches topped by a tuft of wide grass-like leaves inhabiting the southwest of the South Island. Leaves tough, 90-220mm long by 9-17mm wide, margin rough to touch. Flowers tubular, in crowded spikes underneath the leaves.

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

DRAMEN

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Trees & Shrubs

Distribution

Endemic. New Zealand: South and Stewart Islands. In the South Island it is found west of a line from Haast to Invercargill.

Habitat

Coastal to alpine. Usually in subalpine shrubland, alpine grassland, tussock grassland and herbfield. Also colonising cliffs, bluffs and rock outcrops.

Features

Erect stemmed, sparingly branched shrubs 0.5–1.0 m tall. Bark on old branches grey, smooth, rarely deeply fissured at base, young stems brown. Leaves crowded at tips of branches in a bromelioid manner; lamina sheath light brown, 10.0–20 × 7.0–20.4 mm, coriaceous, striate; tapering, margins membranous and smooth; lamina coriaceous, linear–triangular to occasionally triangular, 90–220 × 9–17 mm, surfaces glabrous, prominently striated; margins cartilaginous, serrate, thickened, with 20–32 teeth per 10 mm; apex thickened, acute. Inflorescence an axillary panicle situated below the leaves; shorter than the leaves, drooping, dense, 50–150 mm long, oblong and sparsely branched; rachis and pedicels pubescent; inflorescence axis mid green to reddish brown, 1.5–2.4 mm in diameter; basal inflorescence branch 11.0–12.4 mm long, widely spreading; inflorescence bracts caducous, over-topping the flowers, dark green to red, broadly ovate at base, 12.0–19.2 × 6.0–8.8 mm, adaxial surfaces glabrous to sericeous in basal half; abaxial surfaces glabrous, margins ciliate. Flowers 8–38, in groups of three at base of inflorescence, pedicellate; bracteoles caducous, recaulescent, with one bracteole situated just below the perianth and the other in the middle of the pedicel, shorter than flower, 4–5 × 0.8–1.0 mm, glabrous; pedicels straight, 1.5–5.5 mm long, tomentose. Sepals ovate to broadly ovate, 2.5–3.5 × 1.5–2.5 mm, shorter than the corolla tube, striate, surfaces glabrous; margins ciliate. Corolla white to red; corolla tube campanulate, widened at mouth, 4–7 × 3–5 mm; corolla lobes reflexed, ovate–triangular, shorter than corolla tube, 2.0–4.5 × 1.1–1.6 mm, apices obtuse; surfaces glabrous. Stamens inserted at top of corolla tube, filaments 0.5–1.2 mm long; anthers included, oblong, light yellow and 1.3–1.5 mm long. Ovary obovate, 1.3–1.5 × 1.7–2.0, glabrous, apex round; nectary scales rectangular, 0.7–0.8 long and wide, apices retuse; style included, 2.5–3.5 mm long, glabrous, lengthening in fruit; stigma five–lobed. Fruit reddish brown, 1.5–2.5 × 2.5–5.0 mm, depressed–globose, apex round, glabrous. Seeds dark brown, ovoid, 0.55–1.3 mm long, testa slightly reticulate.

Similar Taxa

Dracophyllum menziesii is recognised by its shrubby habit, mostly unbranched (and if so then sparingly) growth habit; leaves which are crowded in a bromelioid fashion, and which are short and broad lamina (90–220 × 9–17 mm). Of the other Dracophyllum species D. menziesii is most similar to D. townsonii which is a more northerly species (neither species is known to grow together) and from which D. menziesii is easily separated by the mostly unbranched stems, the shorter and wider leaves, and by the flowers which are arranged in groups of 3 rather 5-10 on the lower inflorescence branches. In Dracophyllum menziesii the stamens and styles are included while those of D. townsonii are exserted.

Flowering

November – February

Flower Colours

Red / Pink,White

Fruiting

January - May

Propagation Technique

Difficult. Should not be removed from the wild. Don't be tempted - take photographs instead!

Threats

Not Threatened

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

Life Cycle and Dispersal

Minute seeds are wind dispersed (Thorsen et al., 2009).

This page last updated on 30 Jul 2014