Aristotelia fruticosa
Common name
mountain wineberry
Family
Elaeocarpaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Native
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
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.
ARIFRU
Chromosome number
2n = 28
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
Previous conservation statuses
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Brief description
A small-leaved shrub with hairy branchlets and veins evident on the underside of leaves.
Distribution
Endemic. North Island, South Island and Stewart Island/Rakiura. Throughout, but often localised in occurrence
Habitat
Lowland to subalpine forest understory and shrubland, commoner at hgher elevations.
Detailed description
Dioecious, variable, much branched erect or low growing shrub, sometimes spiny, to 2 m tall; trunk and branches sub-divaricate to upright, rigid, sometimes entangled; bark reddish brown; branchlets reddish brown, pubescent. Leaves opposite or in opposite fascicles on arrested branchlets; petioles c. 2 mm long, widening into lamina; midvein inconspicuous above, midvein and secondary veins obvious below; lamina either 5–7 × 4–5 mm, obovate to oblong, coriaceous, dark green, or c. 15 × 9 mm, ovate to lanceolate, thinner, lighter green, margins distinctly serrate, tip acute to obtuse, base cuneate, undersides pale green. Juvenile leaves larger, thinner, irregularly lobed and serrate. Inflorescences inconspicuous, lateral along branchlets. Flowers c. 2–3 mm diam., solitary, in opposite pairs or in 3–6 flowered cymes, on short pubescent pedicels 1–2 mm long. Sepals 4, oblong, pubescent. Petals 4, slightly > sepals, with 1–4 crenate teeth, white to light pink to red. Stamens 4–6, not projecting beyond corolla, anthers > filaments. Ovary 2-celled(?), styles 2(?). Fruit a c. 2(?)-seeded fleshy berry, 3–4 mm diam., pale, white, pink, bright red to black, bitter to taste. Seed irregularly angled, ventral surface flattened, elliptic, 2.0–2.6 mm, surface irrregular, attachment scar obvious, small orange aril sometimes present.
Similar taxa
Similar to other small leaved shrub species with veins conspicuous below, particularly Raukaua anomalous (which has a flattened, jointed petiole) and Melicytus micranthus (which has a pale blotch at the base of the lamina)
Flowering
October–December
Flower colours
Red/Pink, White
Fruiting
November–April
Life cycle
Fleshy berries are dispersed by frugivory (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Etymology
aristotelia: Named after Aristotle, the Greek philosopher and polymath
fruticosa: Shrubby
Attribution
Description adapted from Allan 1961, Heenan and de Lange 2006, Eagle 2006 and Webb and Simpson 2001.
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.
Heenan PB, de Lange PJ. 2006. Pseudowintera insperata (Winteraceae), an overlooked and rare new species from northern New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 44(1): 89–98. https://doi.org/10.1080/0028825X.2006.9513008.
Eagle A. 2006. Eagle’s complete trees and shrubs of New Zealand. Te Papa Press, Wellington, NZ. 2-volume boxed set: vol. 1 pp 1–529; vol. 2: pp 532–1114.
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.
Webb CJ, Simpson MJA. 2001. Seeds of New Zealand Gymnosperms and Dicotyledons. Manuka Press, Christchurch. 428 p.
Wilson HD, Galloway T. 1993. Small-leaved shrubs of New Zealand. Manuka Press, Christchurch, NZ. 305 p.
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Aristotelia fruticosa Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/aristotelia-fruticosa/ (Date website was queried)