Corokia macrocarpa
Common names
hokotaka, whakataka
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Dicotyledons
Simplified description
Tall shrub with pointed greyish leaves that are white underneath inhabiting the Chatham Islands. Leaves somewhat leathery, margin curved, 4-8cm long by 1.5-3.5cm wide, with white fuzz underneath. Flower yellow, star-shaped, with orange centre. Fruit orange.
Flower colours
Yellow
Detailed description
Much branched shrub or tree up to 8 m tall. Bark firmly attached, charcoal grey, rough. Branches and branchlets ascending, virgate, young branchlets puberulent, hairs whitish, patent. Leaves alternate, coriaceous, borne on firmly flexible, greyish petioles, up 10-15 mm long; lamina (30-)40-80 × 15-35 mm, obovate-cuneate to broad-oblanceolate to elliptic-oblong, apiculate, adaxially dark green surface initally invested in spare to moderate covering of whitish short white hairs, these shedding with age, abaxially, white to dense covering of short white hairs. Inflorescences (1-)4-5(-8)-flowered axillary racemes, raceme peduncle and pedicels densely invested in white, appressed hairs; peduncle 20-40 mm long, pedicels 5-6 mm long; flowers, stellate, yellow; calyces 5-segmented, sepals 3-5 mm long, ovate, ovate attenuate, surfaces densely covered in white appressed hairs; petals 5-6 mm long, lanceolate, lanceolate-oblong, acute, adaxially yellow, abaxially covered in appressed white hairs, widely spreading; stamens 5, antisepalous, filaments 2.0-2.5 mm long, yellow, anthers basifixed, 0.5-0.6 mm, oblong, creamy yellow; disc (0.6-)1.6-2.0 mm diameter, convex, dark yellow or orange, weakly partitioned into 5; style 5-6 yellow, stigma capitate, yellow, channelled to one site, surface rugose. Fruits 10-12 mm, globose, yellow, orange, occasionally dark orange-red, fleshy, flesh dryish.
Similar taxa
Corokia macrocarpa is a distinctive species that is unlikely to be confused with any other indigenous Chathams plant. However, when vegetative it could be confused with sterile shrubs of hakapiri (Olearia traversiorum). In this condition Corokia macrocarpa is easily distinguished from hakapiri by the leaves which are arranged alternatively up the branchlets rather than oppositely.
Distribution
Endemic to the Chatham Islands and is found on Chatham, South East, Pitt and Mangere islands.
Habitat
Widespread from the coast to the highest points on the main islands, growing in a range of habitats including sand dunes, coastal headlands, rock outcrops (basalt, schist, limestone), lake margins and dense forest. Only absent from restiad bog, though it often grows on the fringes of these.
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, RR
Detailed taxonomy
Genus
Family
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
November - April
Fruiting
Throughout year
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
Plant of the Month
This plant has been featured as a Plant of the Month – see Trilepidea: NZPCN newsletter for March 2015 for the full story.
Etymology
corokia: From the Maori name korokio or korokia-tarango
macrocarpa: Large fruit
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.
CORMCC
Chromosome number
2n = 18
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, RR
2012 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: IE, RR
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: CD, IE
2004 | Range Restricted
Referencing and citations
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by P.J. de Lange for NZPCN (25 April 2022). Description by P.J. de Lange (25 April 2022)
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Corokia macrocarpa Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/corokia-macrocarpa/ (Date website was queried)