Carmichaelia corrugata
Common name
common dwarf broom
Synonyms
None (first described in 1883)
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.
CARCOG
Chromosome number
2n = 96
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 | Threatened – Nationally Vulnerable | Qualifiers: RF, Sp
Previous conservation statuses
2012 | At Risk – Declining | Qualifiers: DP, RF, Sp
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Brief description
Rare, very low-growing leafless shrub consisting of erect flattened yellow-green branches with a blunt orange tip. Branches 1.5-3.5mm wide, grooved, blunt-tipped. Flowers pea-like, pink with dark purple centre, in pairs. Fruit a dry pod with 4-6 hard seeds and which only partly opens.
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: South Island (Marlborough, Canterbury including Banks Peninsula, and Otago).
Habitat
Inhabiting sparsely vegetated gravel and sand soils, stone and gravel ridges, river terraces (especially dry sandy hummocks), river beds, and disturbed sites.
Detailed description
Dwarf, rhizomatous shrub, up to 20–80 mm tall, 1 m wide, forming a dense mat or tufts of cladodes. Rhizomes becoming increasingly stout and woody with age, 5–400 × 1–5 mm. Cladodes linear, striate, compressed, erect, yellow-green to orange-green, glabrous, 20.0–70.0 × 1.5–3.5 mm; apex subacute to obtuse, yellow to yellow-green; leaf nodes 2–12. Leaves simple, broad-obovate to broad-elliptic, fleshy, entire, green, present on seedlings and absent on mature plants, 5.5–8.0 × 3.0–5.0 mm; adaxial and abaxial surfaces with scattered hairs; apex emarginate to retuse; base cuneate to narrow-obtuse; petiole sparsely hairy, 2.0–2.5 mm long. Leaves on cladodes reduced to a scale, triangular, glabrous, 0.6–1.5 x 0.8–1.4 mm; apex acute. Inflorescence a 1–2-flowered raceme. Peduncle glabrous or sparsely hairy, green, 5–15 mm long. Bracts triangular, glabrous, pale green, 0.5–1.0 mm long; apex obtuse; margin hairy. Pedicel glabrous or hairy, pale green, 3.0–7.5 mm long. Bracteoles at top of pedicel, triangular, glabrous, green and often flushed red, c. 0.2 × c. 0.2 mm; margin hairy; apex acute. Calyx campanulate, c. 2.5 × c. 2.5 mm; inner surface glabrous, green; outer surface glabrous or sparsely hairy, green. Calyx lobes triangular, flushed red, c. 0.5 mm long; apex acute; margin hairy or glabrous. Bud green. Standard obovate, patent, 8–10 × 6–8 mm; upper surface central area purple, margin white, sometimes purple-green veined; lower surface green, margin cream-green, sometimes purple-green veined; apex retuse; claw pale green, c. 1.5 mm long. Wings oblong, shorter than keel, 5.0–6.5 × c. 2.0 mm; upper surface distal area purple, proximal area green; lower surface white, sometimes purple-veined; auricle triangular, pale green, apex obtuse, c. 1.25 mm long; claw pale green, c. 1.5 mm long. Keel 6.0–8.0 × 2.5–3.0 mm; distal area of adaxial surface purple, proximal area pale green; distal area of abaxial surface purple-green, proximal area pale green; auricle triangular, pale green, with obtuse apex, c. 0.75 mm long; claw pale green, 2.0–2.5 mm long. Stamens 7.5–9 mm long; lower filaments connate for c. ⅔ length and outside filaments free for 1.5–2.5 mm. Pistil exserted beyond stamens, c. 10 mm long; style with a ring of hairs below stigma, and sometimes a few scattered hairs on upper surface; ovules 9–11. Pod elliptic-oblong, laterally compressed, weakly falcate, black, brown, or grey, 7.5–15.0 × 3.0–4.0 mm; one valve partially dehiscent from base; beak on adaxial suture, slightly upturned, stout, pungent, 1.5–2 mm long. Seeds oblong-reniform, 2–9 per pod, black, brown, tan, or olive green, 1.2–2.0 × 1.0–1.5 mm.
Similar taxa
Distinguished from C. uniflora Kirk by its larger diameter rhizome; partially dehiscent pod; cladodes which are broader, more robust, often longer, and yellow-green or orange-green in colour; and by the usually two-flowered inflorescence.
Flowering
October–May
Flower colours
Violet/Purple, White
Fruiting
November–June
Propagation technique
Easily grown from seed and hardwood cuttings. A beautiful shrub which deserves wider cultivation.
Threats
Threatened by browsing livestock, goats, hares and rabbits, as well as loss and modification of the dryland habitats it often occupies.
Etymology
carmichaelia: After Carmichael, a botanist
corrugata: From the Latin corrugatus ‘wrinkled’
Where To Buy
Not Commericially Available.
Attribution
Description adapted from Heenan (1996). Fact Sheet prepared by Peter J. de Lange (2 May 2008).
References and further reading
Heenan PB. 1995. A taxonomic revision of Carmichaelia (Fabaceae - Galegeae) in New Zealand (part I). New Zealand Journal of Botany 33(4): 455–475. https://doi.org/10.1080/0028825X.1995.10410618.
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Carmichaelia corrugata Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/carmichaelia-corrugata/ (Date website was queried)