Habitat: bank, clay, forest edge, gravel, hill, margin, pasture, roadside, sand, shaded, sheltered, shrubland, stone

Dispersal: Seed

Distribution from the Australasian Virtual Herbarium. CC-BY 3.0 AU
Distribution from the Australasian Virtual Herbarium. CC-BY 3.0 AU
 Recognition
  • a shrub or small tree with hairless stems and leaves, and evergreen except in cold areas.
  • its relatively small leaves (2-9 cm long and 1.5-4 cm wide) are borne in pairs along the stems.
  • its small white flowers have four petals and are produced in small branched clusters (up to 15 cm long) at the tips of the stems.
  • its small rounded or egg-shaped fruit (5-7 mm long) turn purplish-black in colour when mature.
 Images
Image: Trevor James © Trevor James
Image: Trevor James © Trevor James
Image: Trevor James © Trevor James
Image: Trevor James © Trevor James
Image: P.B. Heenan © Landcare Research 2012
Image: P.B. Heenan © Landcare Research 2012
Weeds Key – interactive key to the weed species of New Zealand
 References
Howell, C. 2008: Consolidated list of environmental weeds in New Zealand. DOC Research & Development Series 292: 42.