Callitriche aucklandica
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 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: IE, RR, Sp
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Detailed description
Perennial, creeping bright green to dark green fleshy to membranous herb. Stems rather lax, sparwling up to 300 mm long. Leaves on broad, membranous fused petioles; lamina fleshy, 3.6-8 x 1.2-4 mm, dark green to bright green, spathulate. Flowers solitary or in pairs, ebracteate. Filaments to 9 mm long, tapering from broad base. Mericarps more or less elliptic, obovate-elliptic or obovate, laterally compressed, 1.0-1.6 mm long; surface colliculate or reticulate, dull, pale ornage-yellow, medium to light brown or grey brown.
Similar taxa
Closest to C. antarctica Hegelm from which it differs by its larger size, fleshy rather than succulent leaves, lax rather than erect branches, broad, connate petioles smaller leaves (3.6-8 x 1.2-4 cf. 2.5-10 x 1.5-4.8 mm), and keeled and winged rather than rounded mericarps.
Distribution
Endemic. Auckland Islands only
Habitat
Coastal to montane on exposed, in pools and on sodden peat, in heavy shade under shrubs and tussocks. Often near bird colonies but also common on exposed mud within forest and scrub.
Threats
Not Threatened. Listed because it is endemic to the Auckland Islands. On these islands it is abundant.
Detailed taxonomy
Genus
Family
Synonyms
None
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
October - November
Fruiting
November - April
Life cycle and dispersal
Mericarps possibly by water and attachment (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Probably easy. However it is currently not in cultivation.
Other information
Etymology
callitriche: From the Greek kalli ‘beautiful’ and thrix ‘hair’, referring to the beautiful stems
aucklandica: Of the Auckland Islands
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.
CALAUC
Chromosome number
2n = 40
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 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: IE, RR, Sp
2012 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: IE, RR, Sp
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: IE
2004 | Range Restricted
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
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
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by P.J. de Lange for NZPCN (1 June 2013)
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Callitriche aucklandica Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/callitriche-aucklandica/ (Date website was queried)