Coprosma robusta
Common names
karamū, glossy karamū
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Dicotyledons
Simplified description
Large bushy shrub with pairs of glossy leaves which have a small dark-tipped flap on the stem between the leaf bases. Leaves 7–12cm long, with a prominent ridge up the middle underneath and a furrow up the middle above. Fruit red, in tight clusters along twigs.
Flower colours
Green, White
Detailed description
Shrub or small tree up to 6 m tall. Branches numerous, stout, erect to somewhat spreading. Petioles stout, 10–20 mm long. Stipules fused towards base, obtuse, glabrous with one of two prominent, black, glandular denticles. Leaves 70–120 × 30–40–50 mm, leathery, dark green above, paler green beneath, glabrous, elliptic, elliptic-oblong to broad-ovate, acute or obtuse, apex mucronate. Venation reticulated, conspicuous. Male flowers in axillary many-flowered glomerules, corolla conspicuous, lobes triangular, acute, stamens 4–5, prominent. Females in compound clusters on peduncles 10–15 mm. Calyx and corolla much reduced, stigmas prominent. Drupe dark orange (rarely yellow), 8–8 × 4–5 mm, oblong to narrow-ovoid.
Similar taxa
Easily distinguished from all the other lowland, large-leaved Coprosma spp., by the seemingly entire leaves, which are finely toothed along the margins—this can be felt by dragging a finger tips along the leaf edge. Perhaps closest to Coprosma macrocarpa subsp. minor, with which it freely hybridizes, and from which the more simple leaf venation (not so reticulate), finely toothed leaf margins are useful distinctions.
Distribution
Endemic. North and South Islands south to Banks Peninsula. Naturalised populations occur in Otago and Southland (typically around planting sites) and also Rekohu/Chatham Islands within a small area between Waitangi and Owenga.
Habitat
Common throughout coastal, lowland and lower montane habitats within shrublands and open sites within forest.
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
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Synonyms
?Coprosma coffaeoides Colenso
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
(July-) August-September (-November)
Fruiting
(March-) April-May (-July)
Propagation technique
Very easy from fresh seed. Also easy from semi-hardwood cuttings. Fast growing and inclined to become weedy.
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]
FACU: Facultative Upland
Occasionally is a hydrophyte but usually occurs in uplands (non-wetlands).
Other information
Cultivation
Not commonly cultivated but often naturalising from urban indigenous vegetation restoration sites (sometimes where it has been planted erroneously beyond its natural range). Fruit are dispersed bu birds. Heavily fruiting females (which are often apomictic) can be very spectacular. Known to hybridise with other Coprosma species such as C. macrocarpa subsp. minor and C. propinqua.
Etymology
coprosma: From the Greek kopros ‘dung’ and osme ‘smell’, referring to the foul smell of the species, literally ‘dung smell’
robusta: Sturdy
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.
COPROB
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 | Not Threatened
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Allan HH. 1961. Flora of New Zealand, Volume I. Indigenous Tracheophyta: Psilopsida, Lycopsida, Filicopsida, Gymnospermae, Dicotyledones. Government Printer, Wellington, NZ. 1085 p.
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by Peter J. de Lange (30 August 2004). 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 robusta Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/coprosma-robusta/ (Date website was queried)