Coprosma acutifolia
Biostatus
Native
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Dicotyledons
Simplified description
Bushy small tree with opposite pairs of wavy leaves inhabiting the Kermadec Islands. Leaves thin, with small pits at junction of veins, sharp-pointed, 6-7.5cm long, with a small long-tipped scale between the base of the leaf stems. Fruit orange, with black tip.
Flower colours
Green, White
Detailed description
Tree up to 12 m tall; branches ascending; branchlets slender, glabrous. Bark greenish-grey maturing grey, flaking in small rectangular tissue-thin shards. Leaves on slender petioles 5-7 mm long. Stipules membranous, sheathing, sub-acute; denticle prominent. Lamina membranous, glabrous, 60-90 × 20-35 mm, yellow-green, often mottled with dark green, narrow-ovate, ovate, ovate-elliptic to lanceolate, acuminate, tapering to petiole; margins undulose. Reticulated veins fine, evident. Male flowers 3-9 on slender axillary branched peduncles 10-15 mm long; calyx cupular, teeth 4-5, acute; corolla subfunnelform, lobes 5, acute, more or less = tube; stamens 4-5. Female flowers 3 in a cluster on branched axillary peduncles; calyx cupular, teeth triangular, usually 5; corolla tubular, lobes linear-triangular, < tube. Drupe orange-red, oblong, 7-8 mm long
Similar taxa
The allopatric sister species of Coprosma acutifolia is the North Island endemic C. tenuifolia. This species differs from C. acutifolia by its smaller stature (up to 5 m cf. 12 m tall); by its larger ( 70-110 × 30-45 mm), ovate to oblong, acute, usually apiculate leaves which are coloured dull dark green, red-green or variously blotched, tinged or blemished with red, maroon or purple. The leaves of Coprosma acutifolia are 60-90 × 20-35 mm, yellow-green, often mottled with dark green, narrow-ovate, ovate, ovate-elliptic to lanceolate, acuminate. The peduncles of Coprosma tenuifolia are unbranched while those of C. acutifolia are pedicellate (branched). The fruits of Coprosma acutifolia are oblong and orange red rather than ovoid and orange. Both species hybridise readily when grown together in cultivation.
Distribution
Endemic. Raoul Island (Kermadec Island group) only
Habitat
Metrosideros-dominated forest - in both wet and dry associations. Ranging from almost sea level (where its distribution overlaps with Coprosma petiolata) to the highest point on the island (Moumoukai 520 m a.s.l.). A common understorey tree in dry and wet forest, becoming at times a moderately important canopy species along the summit ridges of Raoul.
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.
Please note, threat classifications are often suggested by authors when publications fall between NZTCS assessment periods – these interim threat classification statuses has not been assessed by the NZTCS panel.
- 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: CD, IE, OL
Threats
A local endemic abundant on Raoul Island
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Rubiaceae
Synonyms
None (first described in 1856)
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
March - July
Fruiting
September - January
Life cycle
Fleshy drupes are dispersed by frugivory (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Easy from semi-hard wood cuttings and fresh seed. Moderately frost-hardy. A very fast growing and attractive small tree, preferring a well drained, fertile soil. Does best planted in full sun in a warm frost-free situation. Hybridises readily when planted near other Coprosma species.
Other information
Cultivation
Occasionally offered by specialist native plant nurseries
Etymology
coprosma: From the Greek kopros ‘dung’ and osme ‘smell’, referring to the foul smell of the species, literally ‘dung smell’
acutifolia: From the Latin acutus ‘sharp’ and folius ‘leaf’, with pointed leaves
Manaaki Whenua Online Interactive Key
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.
COPACU
Chromosome number
2n = 44
Previous conservation statuses
2017 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: CD, IE, OL
2012 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: CD, IE, OL
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: IE
2004 | Range Restricted
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Allan, H.H. 1961: Flora of New Zealand. Vol. I, Government Printer, Wellington
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 11: 285-309
Attribution
Description adapted from 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.
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Coprosma acutifolia Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/coprosma-acutifolia/ (Date website was queried)