Gaultheria depressa var. depressa
Synonyms
Gaultheria antipoda var. depressa Hook.f.
Family
Ericaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Native
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Dicotyledons
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.
GAUDVD
Chromosome number
2n = 22
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.
2018 | Data Deficient
Previous conservation statuses
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Brief description
Low-growing shrub bearing rounded leathery leaves that have obvious small hairs on margin. Twigs with dark bristly hairs. Leaves 5-10mm long by 4-6mm wide. Flowers white, bell-shaped, solitary at base of leaf. Fruit white to red, 6-10mm wide, lobed.
Life cycle
Fleshy berries are dispersed by invertebrate frugivory (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Etymology
gaultheria: Named after Jean François Gaultier of Quebec (6 Oct 1708-10 July 1756) by the Scandinavian Pehr Kalm in 1748.
depressa: From the Latin depremere ‘to press down’, meaning to be flattened vertically, often referring to a plant’s habit
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