Androstoma empetrifolium
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Dicotyledons
Simplified description
Low-growing sprawling reddish shrub. Leaves spreading, small, curved, appearing blunt, reddish or dark green above (somewhat pubescent), undersides 3-veined (veins parallel), white, pubescent. Flower small, white, tubular, single or in small clusters. Fruit fleshy, white, pink or red, ovoid
Detailed description
Hermaphrodite, prostrate, semi-prostrate (decumbent) sometimes trailing, widely spreading woody shrubs up to 1.0 × 0.2 m. Stems spreading, brown, grey-brown or red-brown; branchlets red-brown, yellow-brown or brown, ribbed, pubescent. Leaves dark green, bronze-green, maroon adaxially, abaxially pubescent, alternate, evenly spaced, ± spreading, erect or reflexed, shedding along branchlets, and absent on main stems; petiolate, petiole erect, ± appressed, 0.5-0.9 mm long, glabrous; lamina linear, 2.3–4.8 × 0.6–1.1 mm, coriaceous, convex (rarely flat); apex obtuse surmounted by a minute callus; margin recurved, glabrous or ciliate; adaxially ± glossy, glabrous or finely pubescent; abaxially pubescent with hairs either confined to interveinal grooves or pubescent overall, striate, veins 3 parallel, conspicuous, abaxially strongly ribbed. Inflorescences terminal, 1–3-flowered,terminating in a rudimentary bud. Flowers pendulous, subtended by a single bract and 2 prominently keeled bracteoles, not pedicellate above bracteoles so appearing spicate; pedicel 0.4–1 mm long; bract, bracteoles, and sepals ovate or oblong, obtuse, glabrous or rarely puberulent outside; bract 0.5–0.9 × 0.5 mm, margin ciliolate; bracteoles non-imbricate, uniform in size, 0.8–1.5 × 0.7–1 mm, conspicuously striate particularly when dry, margin ciliate; sepals 1.3–1.9 × 0.8–1.1 mm, margin ciliate, bearing stomata on the adaxial surface (with a few present within hair-bearing clefts on the abaxial surface). Corolla tube ≤ calyx, thin, campanulate, 1.1–1.6 mm long, inner portion of tube glabrous; lobes spreading, acute, equalling the tube, 1.0–1.5 mm long, sparsely puberulent to puberulent towards apices. Anthers emarginate, 0.3–0.5 mm long, apically attached by a short thin filament inserted just below sinus of corolla tube; the filaments exserted, 0.3–0.5 mm long. Ovary 3–4-locular, spherical to ovoid, glabrous, 0.5–1.0 × 0.5–0.8 mm wide; style straight, glabrous, 0.5–0.8 mm long; stigma 0.1 mm long exserted. Nectary annular deeply lobed, occasionally comprised of distinct scales, these 0.2–0.4 mm tall, glabrous. Fruit red (occasionally white or pink), 2.0–3.0 × 1.5–2 mm, glabrous. Endocarp 1.6–2.3 × 1.6–2.1 mm, brown, orange to ornage-brown, broadly elliptic to ovoid, obscurely 3-angled, often longitudinally ridged, somewhat granular.
Similar taxa
None.
Distribution
Endemic. North Island (from Te Moehau and Mt Pirongia south), South Island, Stewart Island/Rakiura, Chatham Islands, Auckland Islands and Campbell Island/Motu Ihupuku.
Habitat
Coastal to alpine (montane to alpine in northern part of range otherwise extending to sea level). A species of open shrubland, tussock grassland, peat bogs and other poorly drained sites, as well as mixed alpine and subalpine herbfield. It is also frequently found on ridgelines on poorly draining, skeletal soils and on rock outcrops.
Current conservation status
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2022-2023 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website. This report includes replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Previous assessments can be found here.
- Conservation status of vascular plants in Aotearoa New Zealand, 2023. 2024. Peter J. de Lange, Jane Gosden, Shannel P. Courtney, Alexander J. Fergus, John W. Barkla, Sarah M. Beadel, Paul D. Champion, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Troy Makan and Pascale Michel Department of Conservation. Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2023 | Not Threatened
Detailed taxonomy
Genus
Family
Synonyms
Cyathodes empetrifolia (Hook.f.) Hook.f., Styphelia taxifolia Sleumer, Styphelia androstoma F.Muell. (nom. illegit.), Styphelia hookeri F.Muell. (nom. illegit.)
Taxonomic notes
Until recently Androstoma had been treated as a monotypic and endemic genus (Hooker 1844; Weiller 1996). In 2005 a further Australian (Tasmania) endemic species that had been variously referred to Pentachondra, Trochocarpa, Styphelia and Leucopogon, was transferred to Androstoma as A. verticillata (Hook.f.) C.J.Quinn (Quinn et al. 2005). Androstoma empetrifolium was treated as Cyathodes empetrifolia (Hook.f.) Hook.f. by Allan (1961)
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
November–January
Fruiting
January–August
Life cycle and dispersal
Fleshy drupes are dispersed by frugivory (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Difficult. Should not be removed from the wild.
Wetland plant indicator status rating
Information derived from the revised national wetland plant list prepared to assist councils in delineating and monitoring wetlands (Clarkson et al., 2021 Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research Contract Report LC3975 for Hawke’s Bay Regional Council). The national plant list categorises plants by the extent to which they are found in wetlands and not ‘drylands’. The indicator status ratings are OBL (obligate wetland), FACW (facultative wetland), FAC (facultative), FACU (facultative upland), and UPL (obligate upland). If you have suggestions for the Wetland Indicator Status Rating, please contact: [Enable JavaScript to view protected content]
FACW: Facultative Wetland
Usually is a hydrophyte but occasionally found in uplands (non-wetlands).
Other information
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.
ANDEMP
Chromosome number
2n = 24
Previous conservation statuses
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2022-2023 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website. This report includes replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Previous assessments can be found here.
- Conservation status of vascular plants in Aotearoa New Zealand, 2023. 2024. Peter J. de Lange, Jane Gosden, Shannel P. Courtney, Alexander J. Fergus, John W. Barkla, Sarah M. Beadel, Paul D. Champion, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Troy Makan and Pascale Michel Department of Conservation. Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2017 | Not Threatened
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Regional conservation statuses
Otago: 2025 | Regionally Not Threatened
The regional threat classification system leverages off the national assessments in the NZTCS, providing information relevant for the regional context. Otago conservation status information is sourced from the “Conservation Status of Indigenous Vascular Plants in Otago, 2025” Jarvie S et al. (2025) report.
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Allan HH. 1961. Flora of New Zealand, Volume I. Indigenous Tracheophyta: Psilopsida, Lycopsida, Filicopsida, Gymnospermae, Dicotyledones. Government Printer, Wellington, NZ. 1085 p.
Hooker JD. 1853. The Botany of the Antarctic Voyage of H.M. Discovery Ships Erebus and Terror in the Years 1839–1843, under the command of Captain Sir James Clark Ross. II. Flora Novae-Zelandiae. Part I. Flowering plants. Lovell Reeve, London, UK.
Quinn CJ, Brown EA, Heslewood MM, Crayn DM. 2005. Generic concepts in Styphelieae (Ericaceae): the Cyathodes group. Australian Systematic Botany 18(5): 439–454. https://doi.org/10.1071/SB05005.
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.
Webb CJ, Simpson MJA. 2001. Seeds of New Zealand Gymnosperms and Dicotyledons. Manuka Press, Christchurch. 428 p.
Weiller CM. 1996. Reinstatement of the genus Androstoma Hook.f. (Epacridaceae). New Zealand Journal of Botany 34(2): 179–185. https://doi.org/10.1080/0028825X.1996.10410681.
Attribution
Fact Sheet prepared for the NZPCN by P.J. de Lange (19 November 2014). Description based on Weiller (1996), Quinn et al (2005), Webb & Simpson (2001) and observations made from fresh and dried specimens
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Androstoma empetrifolium Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/androstoma-empetrifolium/ (Date website was queried)