Class
Family
Genus
Classification
Nomenclature
Scientific Name:
Pimelea microphylla Colenso, Trans. & Proc. New Zealand Inst. 22: 484 (1889 [1890])
Synonymy:
- = Pimelea laevigata var. alpina Cheeseman, Man. New Zealand Fl. 613 (1906)
Description
A small, compact, prostrate to suberect, much-branched shrub forming loose cushions, to 6 cm high and 25 cm diam., with short, notably sympodial branching. Young branchlets moderately to densely clad in short, grey hair, on strips between glabrous node buttress tissue; internode lengths 0.25-0.6 mm, rarely to 1 mm; older stems sparsely hairy to glabrous, grey-brown to blackish. Narrow node buttresses occupy the length of the internodes and are prominent on leafless stems. Leaves decussate, ascendant, imbricate, and crowded near the ends of branchlets, on very short (0.1-0.3 mm) red petioles, or sessile. Mature leaves glabrous, but almost all plants have some young leaves with a few short hairs at the distal end and young leaves of some individuals are moderately densely hairy, abaxially. Lamina broad-elliptic or broad-ovate, 2.5-3 x 1-2 mm, adaxially concave to slightly keeled, leathery, medium green to yellowish-green; sometimes margins are slightly upturned and also some leaves are red-margined, midvein obscure; obtuse, base cuneate. Stomata on both adaxial and abaxial sides of leaves.
Inflorescences terminal on branchlets, 1-4-flowered; receptacles with short, dense to sparse hair. Involucral bracts 4; 2.5-3.5 × 2-2.5 mm, broadelliptic to broad-ovate, often with a few hairs at the distal end or sometimes densely hairy abaxially. Plants gynodioecious. Flowers white or sometimes pale red, on very short pedicels (0.1 mm); tube and calyx lobes hairy outside; inside hairless, or with sparse hair in the style portion. ♀ tube 3.2 mm long, ovary portion 3 mm, calyx lobes 1.3×1 mm; ☿ tube 3.2 mm long, ovary portion 1.8 mm, calyx lobes 1.5 × 1.5 mm. Anther filaments inserted just below mouth of tube; anther dehiscence introrse. Ovary moderately hairy at summit, sparsely hairy elsewhere. Fruits oblate, fleshy, white or sometimes pink, opaque, 5.5 × 4.2 mm. The tube breaks off irregularly as the fruits ripen. Seeds pyriform, surface granulate, thin crest, 3 × 2 mm. Flowering time summer.
[Reproduced from Burrows (2009, New Zealand J. Bot. 47: 325-354) with permission from The Royal Society of New Zealand.]
Biostatus
Indigenous (Endemic)
Bibliography
Burrows, C.J. 2009: Genus Pimelea (Thymelaeaceae) in New Zealand 3. The taxonomic treatment of six endemic hairy-leaved species
. New Zealand Journal of Botany 47: 325–354.
Cheeseman, T.F. 1906: Manual of the New Zealand Flora. Government Printer, Wellington.
Colenso, W. 1890: A description of some newly-discovered Phænogamic plants, being a further contribution towards the making-known the botany of New Zealand. Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute 22: 459–493.
de Lange, P.J.; Norton, D.A.; Courtney, S.P.; Heenan, P.B.; Barkla, J.W.; Cameron, E.K.; Hitchmough, R.; Townsend, A.J. 2009: Threatened and uncommon plants of New Zealand (2008 revision). New Zealand Journal of Botany 47: 61–96. [Declining]
de Lange, P.J.; Norton, D.A.; Heenan, P.B.; Courtney, S.P.; Molloy, B.P.J.; Ogle, C.C.; Rance, B.D. 2004: Threatened and uncommon plants of New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 42(1): 45–76.
de Lange, P.J.; Rolfe, J.R.; Barkla J.W.; Courtney, S.P.; Champion, P.D.; Perrie, L.R.; Beadel, S.N.; Ford, K.A.; Breitwieser, I.; Schönberger, I.; Hindmarsh-Walls, R.; Heenan, P.B.; Ladley, K. 2018: Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2017. New Zealand Threat Classification Series. No. 22. [Naturally Uncommon]
de Lange, P.J.; Rolfe, J.R.; Champion, P.D.; Courtney, S.P.; Heenan, P.B.; Barkla, J.W.; Cameron, E.K.; Norton, D.A.; Hitchmough, R.A. 2013: Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2012. New Zealand Threat Classification Series 3. Department of Conservation, Wellington. [Naturally Uncommon]
