Coprosma propinqua var. martinii
Common names
Tāpātāpā
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Dicotyledons
Simplified description
Low growing or erect shrub bearing pairs of narrow leaves inhabiting the Chatham Islands. Branching at narrow angle, twigs fuzzy. Leaves dark green, 15-20mm long by 3-4mm wide, with small pits on underside. Fruit dark purple, slightly narrower around middle.
Flower colours
Green
Detailed description
Tall dioecious shrub or small tree up to 8 m tall. Under bark orange. Branches erect, ascending, virgate, branchlets copiously invested in patent to appressed hairs. Leaves opposite, often in fascicles of 4, glabrous, erecto-patent at first then spreading, often weakly arched; borne on short, puberulent, dark maroon, to violet-tinged petioles 1-2 mm long. Stipules shortly sheathing, base sparsely ciliate, denticle 1, if present prominent, though often vestigial or absent, sheath margins hyaline, central portion usually darkly vinous or maroon pigmented. Lamina 15-18(-20) × 4(-6) mm, lanceolate often broadly so, acute to subacute, coriaceous, adaxially yellow-green to green, abaxially paler, midrib evident adaxially and abaxially, side veins in 3-54 pairs, domatia 3(-4) often evident as prominent bulges on adaxial leaf surface, less conspicuous on abaxial. ♂ flowers usually paired 2(-4), borne on 4(-10) mm long, darkly pigmented, puberulent brachyblasts, bearing reduced stipules and sometimes vestigial leaves; calyx minutely toothed, puberulent, maroon or dark green, spotted maroon, corolla shortly, narrowly funnelform, lobes > tube, broadly deltoid, acute, upper third decurved, abaxially dark green heavily spotted vinous red or maroon. ♀ flowers solitary, terminal, borne on 3(-6) mm long brachyblasts covered in sheathing vesitigial stipules and leaves; calyx minutely toothed, puberulent, greenish often spotted maroon, corolla minute, very shortly funnelform, lobes narrowly oblong, acute, usually curled completely back, adaxial surface red-green or pink, abaxially green, often spotted red, stigmas 2, 6-10 mm long, terete, white, densely papillose-pubescent. Drupe (6-)8(-10) x (5-)6-9 mm obconic, ± didymous, white, or white stippled with violet / dark blue flecks; calyx persistent. Pyrenes 2, ± equal.
Similar taxa
Of those Coprosma on the Chatham Islands Coprosma propinqua var. martinii is easily recognised by the upright tall shrub to tree growth habit, narrow, lanceolate leaves, and distinctive obconic fruits. In the northern part of Rēkohu (Chatham Island) Coprosma propinqua var. martinii grows with C. propinqua var. propinqua. From the Chatham Islands race of Coprosma propinqua var. propinqua, C. propinqua var. martinii differs by taller arborescent growth habit, by having erect spreading rather than interlacing branchlets, wider and often shorter leaves, and obconic, weakly didymous white or white-blue-flecked rather than dark blue to violet ellipsoid fruits (as is the case with the Chathams race of Coprosma propinqua var. propinqua). In the sand country in open moor and heathland and on coastal cliffs there is a third Coprosma allied to C. propinqua var. martinii , C. propinqua var. latiuscula, which differs by its prostrate, scrambling growth habit, and shorter, wider leaves.
Distribution
Endemic, Rekohu (Chatham), Rangihaute (Pitt), Hokorereoro (South-east) Islands.
Habitat
A locally common, sometimes abundant tall shrub or small tree of stream sides, swamp forest and the margins of peat bogs.
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 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: IE
Threats
An island endemic, and perhaps one of the few Chatham Island endemics which is still very common on all the main islands. It is considered Range Restircted only by virtue of the small geographic area it occupies
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Synonyms
None
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Propagation technique
Very easy from cuttings, fresh seed and rooted pieces. There are two forms, one forms a small tree, and this corresponds to the type variety. It is rarely grown in New Zealand, and virtually never seen sold by retail nurseries, the other form is flat and creeping, and is widely sold as Coprosma cv. Taiko. Both forms occur throughout the Chatham Islands, though the flat form is more common in sand dunes and the other in forest, peat bog and along lake margins
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]
FACW: Facultative Wetland
Usually is a hydrophyte but occasionally found in uplands (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’
propinqua: From the Latin propinquus ‘near, neighbouring’, meaning closely related to another species
martinii: After William Martin a New Zealand botanist and lichenologist (23 October 1886, died 1975)
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.
COPPVM
Chromosome number
2n = 44
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 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: IE
2012 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: IE
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: IE
2004 | Range Restricted
Referencing and citations
Attribution
Fact Sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange 28 April 2022. Description by P.J. de Lange (27 April 2022) using fresh specimens and herbarium material.
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Coprosma propinqua var. martinii Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/coprosma-propinqua-var-martinii/ (Date website was queried)