Ascarina lucida var. lucida
Common names
Hutu
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
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
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Dicotyledons
Simplified description
Small bushy tree of wetter forests. Leaves glossy, yellow green, with coarse black-tipped teeth on margins. Flowers pinkish, in sprays. Fruit small, white.
Flower colours
Green, Red/Pink
Detailed description
Glabrous monoecious shrub or small tree up to 8 m; trunk up to 300 mm diameter. Branchlets slender, becoming striate, dark purple. Interpetiolar stipules conspicuous, hair-like, 3, dark reddish-purple to maroon. Petioles 8-10 mm long; lamina coriaceous, 20-80 × 15-38 mm, elliptic to oval to obovate, obtuse to acute to subacuminate, cuneately narrowed to base; margins coarsely serrate; surface glossy yellow-green (rarely dark green) above, paler below, serrations dark purple-black or maroon. Inflorescences spicate; spikes oppositely arranged, solitary or openly branched up to 5 times, slender; branches 30-40 mm long. Flowers alternate, sessile, subtended by green or red-tinged, 0.8-1.2 mm long, less crenulate to serrate, deltoid to broadly ovate, acute bract and a smaller lateral pair. Male flower with one cylindric anther 2.5-3.0 mm long; Female flower smaller, solitary or 2-3 together located between anther and stem stigma broad, sessile, ovary sessile. Fruit 2.5-3.0 mm long, broadly ovoid, fleshy white drupe.
Similar taxa
Ascarina lucida var. lanceolata, which is endemic to Raoul Island in the Kermadec Islands group, is clearly related. A. lucida var. lucida differs from A. lucida var. lanceolata by the dark purple stems; by the 3 simple, conspicuous, reddish-purple filamentous stipules which lack fused bases; smaller, yellow-green leaves with purple-black or dark maroon pigmented serrations; more openly branched inflorescences with less congested flowers, and white drupes. Ascarina lucida var. lucida seems to be monoecious while A. lucida var. lanceolata appears to be gynodioecious, but this aspect needs further study.
Distribution
Endemic. North and South Islands. North Island: From Kaitaia south to Wellington, mostly in the west, and only common in the Coromandel Ranges. South Island: North-West Nelson to Southland, abundant in North-West Nelson and Westland.
Habitat
Coastal to montane. A forest species which is most common in the wetter lowland and coastal forest of North-West Nelson and Westland. Elsewhere it is mostly uncommon, sporadic and often absent over large parts of its range.
Threats
Not Threatened but very uncommon in the North Island
Detailed taxonomy
Genus
Family
Synonyms
Ascarina lucida Hook.f.
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
August - December
Fruiting
January - May
Propagation technique
Very easy from fresh seed and cuttings. Rather cold sensitive and prefers moist soils, doing best in a sunny, sheltered situation.
Other information
Cultivation
Occasionally sold by plant nurseries throughout New Zealand.
Etymology
lucida: Shining
Chromosome number
2n = 26
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
Auckland: 2025 | Regionally Threatened – Regionally Endangered | Qualifiers: DPR, DPS, DPT, RR
The regional threat classification system leverages off the national assessments in the NZTCS, providing information relevant for the regional context. Auckland conservation status information is sourced from the “Conservation status of vascular plant species in Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland” Simpkins E et al. (2025) report.
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Allan, H.H. 1961: Flora of New Zealand. Vol. I, Government Printer, Wellington.
Attribution
Description based on Allan (1961).
Some of this factsheet information is derived from Flora of New Zealand Online and is used under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 New Zealand licence.