Geniostoma ligustrifolium var. ligustrifolium
Common name
Hangehange
Synonyms
Geniostoma rupestre var. ligustrifolium (A.Cunn.) B.J.Conn
Family
Loganiaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Native
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Dicotyledonous Trees & Shrubs
Chromosome number
2n = 40
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
Brief description
Shrub bearing pale green pointed leaves that are silvery pale underneath. Leaves thin, 5-7cm long by 2-3cm wide. Flowers small, green, slightly hairy, in clusters at base of leaf. Fruit a dry capsule splitting in two to showing the small orange seeds.
Flower colours
Green, White
Life cycle
Seeds are dispersed by frugivory (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Etymology
geniostoma: The tribe with pitted seed
ligustrifolium: From the genus Ligustrum privet and the Greek word phylum ‘leaf’, meaning privet-leaved
Notes on taxonomy
The decision by Conn (1987) to treat the Geniostoma ligustrifolium as a variety of G. rupestre J.R.Forst. et G.Forst. does not accurately reflect the situation in this country. G. ligustrifolium var. ligustrifolium is sympatric with var. crassum (also treated as G. rupestre var. crassum by Conn in Connor & Edgar (1987)) on the Surville Cliffs and with var. majus (treated by Conn (1980) as a synonym of G. rupestre var. ligustrifolium) on the Three Kings Islands. In these locations occasional hybrids occur but otherwise the three taxa remain distinct (see Murray & de Lange 1999). Therefore the NZPCN follow Murray & de Lange (1999) and prefer to regard all three taxa as distinct from each other and G. rupestre.
References and further reading
Conn, B.J. 1980: A taxonomic revision of Geniostoma subg. Geniostoma (Loganiaceae). Blumea 26: 245-364.
Connor, H.E.; Edgar, E. 1987: Name changes in the indigenous New Zealand flora, 1960–1986 and Nomina Nova IV, 1983–1986. New Zealand Journal of Botany 25: 115-170.
Murray, B.G.; de Lange, P. J. 1999: Contributions to a chromosome atlas of the New Zealand flora - 35. Miscellaneous families. New Zealand Journal of Botany 37: 511-521
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