Carmichaelia carmichaeliae
Common name
pink broom
Synonyms
Notospartium carmichaeliae Hook.f.
Family
Fabaceae
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.
CARCAR
Chromosome number
2n = 32
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 Critical | Qualifiers: RF, RR
Previous conservation statuses
2009 | Threatened – Nationally Critical | Qualifiers: RF, RR
2004 | Threatened – Nationally Vulnerable
Brief description
Rare small tree with untidy, greenish-yellow leafless twigs inhabiting valleys in Marlborough. Twigs oval in cross section, smooth, tending to droop. Flowers small, pink with darker streaks, clustered into conspicuous sprays. Fruit in a 1-4cm long dry flattened pod containing up to 10 hard black mottled seeds.
Distribution
Endemic. South Island, Marlborough, north of the Awatere fault.
Habitat
Lowland to montane. A species of alluvial terraces, gorges, cliff faces and steep valley sides.
Features
Leafless, spreading to upright, shrub or small tree up to 5 m tall. Branchlets slender, 120–400 × 1.8–4.0 mm, drooping, green, compressed. Leaves on branchlets reduced to a triangular scale, glabrous, < 0.8 mm long. Inflorescence a raceme, up to 30 mm long, with up to 20 flowers; pedicel 1.0–3.5 mm long, sparsely hairy. Calyx 1.5–2.4 × 1.5–2.4 mm, outer surface sparsely hairy to glabrescent, or glabrous, green; lobes 0.4–0.6 mm long, triangular. Flowers pink with dark pink veins, up to 8 mm long. Standard 7.0–7.5 × 6.3–6.6 mm, obovate, recurved; wings 5.3–7.8 × 1.0–1.7 mm, oblong, shorter than keel; keel 6.6–8.5 × 2.1–3.2 mm. Stamens 6.0–7.5 mm long. Pistil 7.8–8.4 mm long, exserted beyond stamens, ovary glabrous. Pods 10.0–36.0 × 2.5–4.0 mm, linear, laterally compressed, constricted between the seeds, the seed outline often visible through the dry fruit wall, and the lower filaments are usually persistent on mature fruits, indehiscent; beak up to 4 mm long, narrowly triangular, tapering to the persistent style; with up to 10 seeds. Seeds 2.0–3.5 mm long, reniform to reniform-triangular, light green-yellow, buff or orange-brown, often with black mottling.
Similar taxa
Carmichaelia carmichaeliae and C. glabrescens have a similar growth habit, branchlets, and flowers. Carmichaelia carmichaeliae differs from C. glabrescens by the pods being weakly constricted between the seeds, the seed outline often visible through the dry fruit wall, and the lower filaments are usually persistent on mature fruits. C. glabrescens pods are shorter and broader, there are no constrictions between seeds, the seed outline is not visible through the fruit wall, and the lower filaments are usually absent from mature fruits. C. glabrescens grows south of the Awatere fault.
Flowering
November to January
Flower colours
Red/Pink
Fruiting
January to December
Life cycle
Seeds are possibly dispersed by wind and granivory (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Easy from fresh seed. Semi hardwod cuttings can be struck with difficulty. An excellent species for a steep, free draining bank, cliffface or rock wall. Does well in any soil provided it is free draining. This species should be planted in full sun. It is intolerant of heavy shade and humidity.
Threats
Threatened by aerial spraying for gorse (Ulex europaeus L.) and broom (Cytisus scoparius (L.) Link), browsing animals, (especially goats, cattle, possums and deer) and habitat loss through competition from weeds.
Etymology
carmichaelia: After Carmichael, a botanist
Where To Buy
Occasionally available from specialist native plant nurseries.
Attribution
Fact Sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange 1 July 2007. Description by P.B. Heenan based on Allan (1961) and published in de Lange et al. (2010)
References and further reading
Allan, H.H. 1961: Flora of New Zealand. Vol. I. Wellington, Government Printer.
de Lange, P.J.; Heenan, P.B.; Norton, D.A.; Rolfe, J.R.; Sawyer, J.W.D. 2010: Threatened Plants of New Zealand. Canterbury University Press, Christchurch.
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
Citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Carmichaelia carmichaeliae Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/carmichaelia-carmichaeliae/ (Date website was queried)