Dichondra repens
Common name
Mercury Bay weed, dichondra
Synonyms
None in New Zealand
Family
Convolvulaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Native
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
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.
DICREP
Chromosome number
2n = 30
Current conservation status
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2017 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS). This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2012 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Authors: By Peter J. de Lange, Jeremy R. Rolfe, John W. Barkla, Shannel P. Courtney, Paul D. Champion, Leon R. Perrie, Sarah M. Beadel, Kerry A. Ford, Ilse Breitwieser, Ines Schönberger, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Peter B. Heenan and Kate Ladley.
2012 | Not Threatened
Previous conservation statuses
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Distribution
Indigenous. Three Kings, North, South, Chatham Islands. Found throughout the world
Flowering
September - February
Flower colours
Green, White
Fruiting
November - May
Life cycle
Seeds are wind dispersed (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Easy from fresh seed and rooted pieces, In some palces often naturally present in lawns. Prone in humid places to powdery mildew in summer. Tolerant of a wide range of conditions but not such a good lawn cover as D. brevifolia Buchanan
Etymology
dichondra: Two seeds
repens: From Latin repere meaning to creep, means creeping
Where To Buy
Occasionally available from mainline and specialist native plant nurseries. A silvery-grey colour form of uncertain origin is currently popular at garden centres.
References and further reading
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