Coprosma dumosa
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 | Not Threatened
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Dicotyledons
Simplified description
A bushy, small-leaved shrub with ‘layered’ branches; mostly common in higher rainfall montane forests and shrublands from the Kaimai Range southwards to Stewart Island.” Also in the drier South Island. Leaves small, elliptic, 4-6mm long, in clusters of pairs, thick, with 1-2 pits on underside, main vein on underside reaching the leaf tip, with tiny hairs on margin in wet areas. Fruit orange or red (mostly white/transluscent in North Island).
Flower colours
Yellow, Green, Violet/Purple
Detailed description
Erect shrub up to 3 m tall, leafy appearance. Branches slender, quite robust, bark smooth and grey to grey-brown. Branchlets pubescent when young. Leaves opposite, numerous, pale grey-green to yellow-green, fascicled on short branchlets; petiole glabrous to pubescent, occasionally mid rib may have row of hairs present, rather thick in texture. Lamina elliptical to obovate, 5-13 × 2-6 mm, on seedlings may have hair fringed margin, generally margin glabrous, if hairs are present, they are on apical third of margin only, margin often dark coloured, upper surface may have midvein visible, may be pale coloured in centre at petiole end, underside glabrous, generally midvein visible. Stipule shallow triangle appearance, short sheath. Central tooth-like form with pairs of teeth either side which are well hidden by dense hairs, front pubescent. Flowers solitary or clustered, borne directly from branchlet stem. Male flowers 3-4 mm long (not including stamen), stamens 4, violet and yellow. Female flowers, sepals tiny, pale yellow, approximately 2 mm long (not including styles), styles 2. Drupe transparent white, or pale gold, or pale pink, or bright red, on short stalk 1-1.5 mm, spherical fruit 4-5 mm diameter. Seeds 2 per drupe.
Similar taxa
Coprosma parviflora which differs by the undersides of leaves being distinctly hairy (glabrous to glabrescent in C. dumosa), violet black fruits (white, pink or yellow in C. dumosa), and different chromosome number (2n = 132 in C. parviflora, 2n = 88 in C. dumosa). Furthermore, C. parviflora is confined to the northern North Island.
Coprosma ciliata can be distinguished by having both long and short hairs (generally more hairs) on the branchlets (C. dumosa has only short hairs). The leaves of C. ciliata are generally thinner and hairier than those of C. dumosa. C. ciliata has larger fruit 6-7 mm compared to 4-5 mm. The colour of the fruit is throughout, whereas in C. dumosa the colour is only in the skin of the drupe.
Coprosma pedicellata a potentially taller plant (up to 7 metres), is very hard to tell apart unless fruit is present, drupe of C. pedicellata has marginally longer stem at 1.7-2.3 mm compared to C. dumosa at 1-1.5 mm. The fruit of C. pedicellata is rarely translucent white (most common colour for C. dumosa), more often dark purple or black.
Distribution
Endemic. North Island from Kaimai Range south; South Island (rare in Fiordland), Stewart Island.
Habitat
Lowland to montane shrubland, scrub and forest. More likely to descend in altitude towards its southern extent.
Detailed taxonomy
Genus
Family
Synonyms
Coprosma parviflora var. dumosa Cheeseman; Coprosma tayloriae A.P.Druce ex G.T.Jane
Taxonomic notes
This species has been somewhat confused in its description historically with suggestions of it being a separate entity to C. tayloriae. Glenny and Cruikshank (2011) clearly analyse the two suggested species and conclude that some historical misidentifications of samples were used that were that of C. pedicellata, therefore suggesting that C. tayloriae is synonymous with C. dumosa.
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
October - November (-January)
Fruiting
February-April (-October)
Life cycle and dispersal
Fleshy drupes are dispersed by frugivory (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Easy from fresh seed, and semi-hardwood cuttings. In warmer climates does best in a shaded site or planted within a deep, moist soil.
Wetland plant indicator status rating
Information derived from the revised national wetland plant list prepared to assist councils in delineating and monitoring wetlands (Clarkson et al., 2021 Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research Contract Report LC3975 for Hawke’s Bay Regional Council). The national plant list categorises plants by the extent to which they are found in wetlands and not ‘drylands’. The indicator status ratings are OBL (obligate wetland), FACW (facultative wetland), FAC (facultative), FACU (facultative upland), and UPL (obligate upland). If you have suggestions for the Wetland Indicator Status Rating, please contact: [Enable JavaScript to view protected content]
FAC: Facultative
Commonly occurs as either a hydrophyte or non-hydrophyte (non-wetlands).
Other information
Etymology
coprosma: From the Greek kopros ‘dung’ and osme ‘smell’, referring to the foul smell of the species, literally ‘dung smell’
dumosa: Bushy or shrubby
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.
COPDMO
Chromosome number
2n = 132
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 | Not Threatened
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Regional conservation statuses
Otago: 2025 | Regionally Not Threatened
The regional threat classification system leverages off the national assessments in the NZTCS, providing information relevant for the regional context. Otago conservation status information is sourced from the “Conservation Status of Indigenous Vascular Plants in Otago, 2025” Jarvie S et al. (2025) report.
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Allan, H. H. 1961. Flora of New Zealand. Vol. 1. Wellington: Government Printer. pp. 571-572
Glenny, D. & Cruickshank, J. 2011. Taxonomic notes on the New Zealand flora: Coprosma dumosa and C. tayloriae, are there two species?. New Zealand journal of botany, 49(4), pp.481-488
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, Christchurch, NZ. page 93
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by M.D. Ward (14 May 2024). Description adapted from Allan (1961), Wilson & Galloway (1993).
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.