Coprosma crenulata
Synonyms
Coprosma retusa (Hook. f.) Petrie
Family
Rubiaceae
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.
COPCRE
Chromosome number
2n = 44
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 | Not Threatened
Previous conservation statuses
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Brief description
Low-growing sprawling yellowish shrub with small thick narrow pairs of leaves that have are finely notched towards the tip (lens needed) inhabiting upland areas of the South and Stewart Islands. Leaves curved, wider at tip which is dented inwards, smells faintly badly when crushed. Fruit bright red.
Distribution
South and Steward Islands. From western Nelson southwards.
Habitat
Montane to subalpine 700-1400m, Often common yet rather inconspicuous in open subalpine scrub, mixed snow tussock-scrub and herbfield on permanently damp, often-peaty sites.
Features
Procumbent shrub up to 0.3 m high, with long trailing branches, bark light grey. Branchlets straw coloured, numerous, more or less tetragonous, pubescent. Leaves on short stout petioles. Stipules short, truncate, with 3 conspicuous denticles, ciliolate. Lamina thick, coriaceous, glabrous, on short stout petioles, obovate to obovate-oblong, retuse, cuneately narrowed to base, more or less 9-10 (-20) x 3-5 mm; margins thickened, minutely crenulate towards apex, slightly foetid smell when bruised. Midrib prominent below, impressed above. Flowers solitary, terminal. Male flower without calyx; corolla funnelform, approximately 6 mm long, tube approximately 4 mm long, lobes usually 5, ovate-triangular, acute; stamens usually 5. Female flower with minute calyx-teeth; corolla funnelform to tubular, cut halfway into 5 acute lobes. Drupe yellowish red, bright red, ovoid, approximately 6 mm long.
Similar taxa
Coprosma aff. colensoi (Coprosma ’decipiens’ in Landcare Coprosma Key) has leaves which are curved back at the tips but not indented, stipules each with a single denticle, and pendant flowers; it also lacks the minutely saw-edged margins towards the tip of each leaf characteristic of C. crenulata.
C. depressa has thinner, rounder leaves, and relatively large, whitish, papery stipules.
C. cheesemanii has much narrower, pointed, thinner leaves.
C. cuneata the leaves of are similar in shape to C. crenulata, but narrower, and are not as leathery; in addition, the bark is dark brown, and the stipules are triangular and hair-fringed, not 3-toothed and short as in C. crenulata.
Flowering
January-February
Flower colours
Green, Yellow
Fruiting
February-June (-September)
Life cycle
Fleshy drupes are dispersed by frugivory (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Etymology
coprosma: From the Greek kopros ‘dung’ and osme ‘smell’, referring to the foul smell of the species, literally ‘dung smell’
crenulata: From the Latin crenus ‘notch’, meaning with notches which give a leaf margin the appearance of having small rounded teeth
TAXONOMIC NOTES
In Allan (1961) Oliver, places this sp. close to C. serrulata on account of “the peculiar crenulate edges to the leaves, the dentate stipules, and the flowers”.
Attribution
Description adapted by M. Ward from Allan (1961), Mark (2012), Wilson & Galloway (1993).
References and further reading
Allan, H. H. 1961. Flora of New Zealand. Vol. 1. Wellington: Government Printer. pg. 573-574.
Mark, A. F. 2012. Above the Treeline: A Nature Guide to Alpine New Zealand. Craig Potton Publishing, Nelson. pg. 170.
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.
Wilson, H. D., & Galloway, T. 1993. Small-leaved shrubs of New Zealand. Manuka Press. pg. 118-119.