Elaeocarpus dentatus var. dentatus
Common names
hīnau
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Dicotyledons
Simplified description
Canopy tree bearing harsh thin leaves that have obvious pits on the underside and with small teeth along margins. Twigs with small hairs. Adult leaves 10-12cm long by 2-3cm wide, with a sharp tip, Juvenile leaves narrower. Flowers white, lacy, in conspicuous sprays. Fruit purple, oval, 12-15mm long.
Flower colours
White
Detailed description
Tree up to 20 m tall (usually less), with broad spreading crown. Trunk 1 m diam., bark grey. Branches erect then spreading, branchlets silky hairy when young. Petioles stout, 20-25 mm long. Leaves leathery, (50-)100-120 x 20-30 mm, narrow- to obovate-oblong, broad-obovate, oblanceolate, apex obtuse or abruptly acuminate, dark green and glabrescent above, off-white, silky-hairy below; margins somewhat sinuate, recurved, serrate to subentire. Inflorescence a raceme 100-180 mm long, 8-12(-20)-flowered. Pedicels 10 mm long, silky-hairy. Flowers drooping, (8-)12(-15) mm diam., sepals lanceolate-oblong, 6 mm long, petals white, obovate-cuneate, 3-5-lobed, c. 10 mm long. Stamens 10-20. Fruit a fleshy, ovoid purple-black 12-18 x 9 mm, drupe. Endocarp deeply furrowed and wrinkled.
Similar taxa
A distinctive tree easily recognised by the erecto-patent leathery bicoloured leaves, white “lily of the valley” like flowers, and small ovoid purple-black drupes. Distinguished from the closely allied pokaka by the lack of a filiramulate, divaricating juvenile and sub adult growth form, and larger leaves, flowers and fruits. The status of Elaeocarpus dentatus var. obovatus Cheeseman accepted by the New Zealand Flora, but not by Druce (1993) needs further investigation. In its typical form this variety seems very distinctive, and pending further study it is retained here, especially as no one has undertaken a modern revision of New Zealand Elaeocarpus.
Distribution
Endemic. North, and South Island as far South Westland in the west and Christchurch in the east.
Habitat
Common tree of mainly coastal and lowland forest though occasionally extending into montane 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
Genus
Family
Synonyms
Dicera dentata J.R.Forst. et G.Forst., Elaeocarpus hinau A.Cunn., Elaeocarpus cunninghamii Raoul
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
October - February
Fruiting
December - May(-June)
Life cycle and dispersal
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
Propagation technique
Easy from fresh fruit - though can be slow to germinate. Moderately easy in most soils, light and moisture regimes. However, does best in a deep, moist, well mulched soil.
Other information
Cultivation
Occasionally available from commercial and specialist native plant nurseries. A beautiful tree which should be more widely grown. Makes an excellent specimen tree and should be more widely used in street plantings.
Plant of the Month
This plant has been featured as a Plant of the Month – see Trilepidea: NZPCN newsletter for December 2018 for the full story.
Etymology
elaeocarpus: Olive-seed
dentatus: Toothed
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.
ELADEN
Chromosome number
2n = 30
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
Regional conservation statuses
Auckland: 2025 | Regionally Not Threatened | Qualifiers: DPS, DPT
The regional threat classification system leverages off the national assessments in the NZTCS, providing information relevant for the regional context. Auckland conservation status information is sourced from the “Conservation status of vascular plant species in Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland” Simpkins E et al. (2025) report.
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Allan, H.H. 1961: Flora of New Zealand. Vol. I. Wellington, Government Printer.
Druce, A.P. 1993: Indigenous vascular plants of New Zealand. Ninth Revision. Unpublished Checklist held at Landcare Research, Lincoln, New Zealand.
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 (4 April 2007). 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.