Brachyglottis huntii
Common name
rautini, Chatham Island Christmas tree
Synonyms
Senecio huntii F.Muell.
Family
Asteraceae
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.
BRAHUN
Chromosome number
2n = 60
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). This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2012 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Authors: By 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.
2012 | Threatened – Nationally Vulnerable | Qualifiers: CD, IE, RF, RR
Previous conservation statuses
2009 | Threatened – Nationally Critical | Qualifiers: CD, IE
2004 | Threatened – Nationally Endangered
Brief description
Large spreading grey-green shrub inhabiting peatlands of the Chatham Islands. Twigs brittle and bearing leaf scars. Leaves 5-10cm long, narrow, rolled, thin, grey-green, pale underneath, shiny, margin wavy. Flowers with many radiating yellow petals, clustered together.
Distribution
Endemic to the Chatham Islands. Found on both Chatham Island and Pitt Island. It was once much more common and widespread on Chatham Island but has declined seriously over the last century. On Pitt Island it is still quite widespread; expanding where stock and feral animals are in low numbers, but diminishing elsewhere.
Habitat
Brachyglottis huntiii prefers frequently disturbed and/or early successional habitats, such as those found along stream and river sides, open shrubland, drier swamps, and along ridge crests. It is usually found growing on permanently moist forest and restiad peats and cannot tolerate protracted periods of drought, or heavy shade.
Features
Aromatic, small woody tree up to 6 x 6 m. Bark grey, flaking usually in small shards. Branches stout, spreading, usually bearing numerous leaf scars, leaf toward apex, dead leaves long persistent. Leaves 70-180 x 20-40 mm, ovate, elliptic-lanceolate, grey green, apex subacute, lamina entire or finely toothed in upper third; buds and emergent leaves viscid, resinous, rather aromatic, initially densely clad on both surfaces with fulvous tomentum, becoming glabrescent with age. Inflorescences in dense, terminal panicles, subtended by leaves, all parts viscous, resinous. Pedicels stout, 5-15 mm long, densely glandular pubescent. Capitula 20-30 mm diam., involucral bracts 10-12(-15), narrow-oblong, obtuse to subacute, grey-green, glandular on under sides, ciliate on margins, apex surmounted by a conspicuous tuft of hairs. Ray-florets 15-20, ligules c. 10 mm long, yellow, broad, recurving with age. Cypsela (seeds) 1.5-1.8 mm long, narrow-oblong, pale brown to brown, grooved, glabrescent; pappus-hairs 5-7 mm long, off-white, slender, distinctly barbellate.
Similar taxa
Brachyglottis stewartiae (J.B.Armstr.) B.Nord. is related but the leaves in this species have dark glossey upper surfaces, and pure white undersides (due to the dense covering of fine, appressed, hairs)
Flowering
November - February
Flower colours
Yellow
Fruiting
Late summer and early autumn
Life cycle
Pappate achenes are dispersed by wind (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Easily grown from fresh seed and semi-hardwood cuttings. However, plants can be difficult to maintain. In cultivation they are prone to sudden collapse from such soil and water borne diseases as phytophora, verticillium and fusarium wilt. This species does best planted in a semi-shaded site or in a permanently moist, deep peaty soil, with a south-facing aspect. Once planted it should not be disturbed. In ideal conditions it is fast growing and will flower within 1-2 years from seed. This is a naturally short-lived species so it is wise to maintain young stock for replacement of older trees.
Threats
Brachyglottis huntii was once much more common and widespread on Chatham Island but has declined seriously over the last century. On Pitt Island it is still quite widespread; expanding where stock and feral animals are in low numbers, but diminishing elsewhere. Threats are myriad and include habitat destruction; browsing and trampling by cattle, sheep, pigs and possums. While fire can destroy plants the disturbance caused can also provide fresh sites for seedlings to colonise.
Etymology
brachyglottis: Name comes from the Greek words brachus meaning “short” and glottis meaning “the vocal apparatus of the larynx”
Where To Buy
Occasionally available from specialist native plant nurseries
Notes on status
Recent reports of the sudden collapse of apparently healthy trees are suggestive of such soil borne pathogens as phytophora and verticillium wilt. There is some evidence to suggest that the species is self-incompatible, because seed collected from isolated trees has very poor germination. This has important implications for future management, particularly on main Chatham, where the species is now seriously threatened, and often represented on parts of the island by isolated individuals.
Attribution
Fact Sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange 11 March 2004. Description subsequently published in de Lange et al. (2010)
References and further reading
de Lange, P.J.; Heenan, P.B.; Norton, D.A.; Rolfe, J.R.; Sawyer, J.W.D. 2010: Threatened Plants of New Zealand. Christchurch, Canterbury University Press.
Thorsen, M. J.; Dickinson, K. J. M.; Seddon, P. J. 2009. Seed dispersal systems in the New Zealand flora. Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 2009 Vol. 11 No. 4 pp. 285-309
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Brachyglottis huntii Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/brachyglottis-huntii/ (Date website was queried)