Dianella latissima
Common names
ink berry, blueberry
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Monocots
Flower colours
Brown, White
Detailed description
Tussock forming, evergreen perennial herb, forming dense to open, larger and robust clumps; rhizomes horizontal, up to 100 mm long. Leaves 0.5-1.2 m long, 15-35 mm wide, uniformly green to light green, discolourous, strongly curved and drooping, more or less flat, lamina smooth and more or less glossy; margin and midrib on leaf undersides bearing prominent and coarsely scabrid teeth; apex acute; leaf sheaths equitant, tightly clasping, surface and margin pale green to light yellow-green; apex acute to subacute. Inflorescence erect to spreading, 1.0-1.5 m long, exserted above the leaves; scape slender, arching, base asymmetric and up to 100 x 75 mm diameter; panicle 500-800 mm long, branches spreading, short, regularly spaced; cauline leaves subtending branches, leaf-like at the base but reducing in size and becoming bract-like distally; cymules 3-7-flowered; pedicels 10-17 mm long, slightly recurved, terete; bracteoles 1.0-1.2 x c.0.2 mm, narrow-triangular, subtending pedicels caducous. Flowers nodding, 9-11 mm diameter, opening early morning, collapsing late afternoon, perianth segments strongly recurved ; sepals 4.4-4.5 x 1.6-1.7 mm long, white; anthers 1.3-1.4 x c.0.4 mm, yellow-brown; struma 1.3-1.4 x c.0.6 mm, oblong, yellow, minutely papillose; ovary 1.4-1.6 x 1.1-1.3 mm. green, more or less globular; style 2.0-2.2 mm long, white. Berry 8-20 x 7-10 mm, ovoid to oblong, grey-white and dull to strong violet-blue and glossy, pericarp spongy. Seeds 1.8-2.1 x 2.3-3.0 mm, ovoid, black, shiny.
Similar taxa
Distinguished from D. haematica Heenan et de Lange and D. nigra Colenso by the tussock forming habit, with dense to loose large, robust, clumps, horizontally spreading rhizomes up to 100 mm long; pale green to yellow-green leaf sheaths; uniformly green to light green, curved, drooping leaves up to 1.2 m long and 35 mm wide with prominent, teeth on the leaf margins and midrib of the leaf underside, acute leaf apex; inflorescences exposed from leaves, oblong (1.3-1.4 mm long) struma; and by the styles which are 2.0-2.2 mm long cf 1.4-1.5 mm long in D. latissima and 1.7-2.1 mm long in D. nigra. Dianella latissima does not grow in wetlands.
Distribution
Endemic.
Habitat
Coastal to montane (1-770 m a.s.l.). Exact habitat preferences are still unclear but D. latissima has been collected from coastal shrubland and forest, lowland forest, especially kauri (Agathis australis (D.Don) Lindl.) dominated forest and from cloud 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.
Please note, threat classifications are often suggested by authors when publications fall between NZTCS assessment periods – these interim threat classification statuses has not been assessed by the NZTCS panel.
- 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
Threats
Probably not threatened but its exact distribution and national abundance needs clarification. Indications are that D. latissima is not so much threatened as it is not yet known to botanists. It seesm to be very common in some parts of Northland and Great and Little Barrier Islands. It is very wide ranging and it popular occurs throughout the North Island. Previously regarded (as Dianella aff. nigra (a) (AK 256873; Hauturu)) as Data Deficient in de Lange et al., 2004, Threatened and uncommon plants of New Zealand, New Zealand Journal of Botany 42: 45-76.
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Xanthorrhoeaceae
Synonyms
None (first described 2007)
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
September - November
Fruiting
November - May
Life cycle and dispersal
Fleshy berries are dispersed by frugivory (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Easily grown from the division of whole plants and from fresh seed. A very attractive species that has huge horticultural potential on account of its larger growth habit, and wider, light green leaves.
Other information
Etymology
dianella: Little Diana
latissima: Very wide
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.
DIALAT
Chromosome number
2n = 16
Previous conservation statuses
2017 | Not Threatened
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Data Deficient
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Heenan, P.B.; de Lange, P.J. 2007: Two new species of Dianella (Hemerocallidaceae) from New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 45: 269-285
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
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange (18 December 2007). Description adapted from Heenan & de Lange (2007).
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Dianella latissima Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/dianella-latissima/ (Date website was queried)