Alseuosmia quercifolia
Common names
oak-leaved toropapa, toropapa, karapapa
Synonyms
Alseuosmia ilex A.Cunn, A. xquercifolia A.Cunn.
Family
Alseuosmiaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Native
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
Yes
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Dicotyledons
NVS code
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.
ALSQUE
Chromosome number
2n = 18
Current conservation status
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2017 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website. This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2012 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants.
Please note, threat classifications are often suggested by authors when publications fall between NZTCS assessment periods – an interim threat classification status has not been assessed by the NZTCS panel.
- Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2017 . 2018. Peter J. de Lange, Jeremy R. Rolfe, John W. Barkla, Shannel P. Courtney, Paul D. Champion, Leon R. Perrie, Sarah M. Beadel, Kerry A. Ford, Ilse Breitwieser, Ines Schönberger, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Peter B. Heenan and Kate Ladley. Department of Conservation. Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2017 | Not Threatened | Qualifiers: DP
Previous conservation statuses
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Simplified description
Shrub with glossy, variable lobed leaves (or sometime long and thin) that are pale beneath and on reddish twigs. Flowers pinkish, tubular, drooping, sweet-smelling, clustered at base of leaves. Fruit small, red, fleshy.
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: North Island (from Te Paki to near Awakino in the west, and in the east present to about Thames and the lower Hauraki Plains, with a few old records from East Cape).
Flower colours
Cream, Red/Pink
Life cycle
Fleshy berries dispersed by fruigivory (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Very easy from cuttings, slow growing but easy to maintain if kept in pots, but usualy tricky to plant out. Does best planted in partial shade in rich soil with a damp root run. However often prone to sudden collapse.
Threats
Not Threatened but often uncommon and sparse in the southern part of its range
Etymology
alseuosmia: Perfume grove
quercifolia: Oak leaved
Plant of the Month
This plant has been featured as a Plant of the Month – see Trilepidea: NZPCN newsletter for August 2014 for the full story.
References and further reading
Thorsen MJ, Dickinson KJM, Seddon PJ. 2009. Seed dispersal systems in the New Zealand flora. Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 11: 285–309. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ppees.2009.06.001.