Halocarpus bidwillii
Common names
bog pine
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Gymnosperms
Simplified description
Much-branched, shrubs or small trees. Foliage distinctly dimorphic (less obvious in adults but usually evident in shaded foliage and on basal branches). Branchlets initially 4-angled, slender (thread-like), leaves bronze-green, yellow-green (often red-tinged). Fruits comprising a dark dark brown, black-brown to dark purple-brown seed sitting within a fleshy, waxy white cup.
Flower colours
No flowers
Detailed description
Dioecious, spreading or erect, much-branched shrub or small tree up to 4.8 m tall. Trunk 0.3–0.4 m d.b.h, usually multiple, rarely solitary, sometimes spreading. Bark firm, flaking in irregular shards, exposed surface grey, usually covered in lichens, undersides red to red-brown. Branches spreading, bases sometimes layering on contact with soil (in extreme examples give rise to a ring of clonal shrubs surrounding ‘parent’); branchlets initially tetragonous, becoming ± terete with age, 1.2–2.0 mm diameter. Foliage dimorphic; juveniles linear, coriaceous, rigid, apetiolate, spreading,; lamina 5.0–10.0 × 1.0–1·5 mm, bronze green to yellow-green, sometimes tinged red, obtuse to subacute, midvein distinct; adults leaves closely imbricate, coriaceous; lamina 1–2 mm long, obtuse to subacute. Male strobili solitary, terminal and sessile, 2.8–4.6 mm long; apiculus obtuse. Female cones sessile, terminal, each surrounded by leaf-like, elongated bracts (1–5 of which are fertile), and terminating in a central sterile appendage. Carpidia solitary or paired, subterminal, larger than associated bracts. Epimatium adnate to base of carpidium; dorsiventrally compressed and striated, initially green, maturing dark-brown to black with the region around the micropyle swelling to form a fleshy, waxy-white (very rarely yellowish), persistent aril collar at the proximal end of the carpidium; the aril cupular to v-shaped under seed. Seed glabrous, smooth, 3.0–4.5 mm long (including aril), dark brown, black-brown to dark purple-brown, glossy, ovate-oblong, compressed.
Similar taxa
Easily recognised when fruiting by the waxy white (very rarely yellowish) arils subtending the seed. Vegetatively it is distinguished from the other Halocarpus by the smaller much-branched shrub to small tree growth habit, weakly keeled leaves (prominently so in H. biformis), and more slender, initially tetragonous, branchlets. The seeds of Halocarpus bidwillii are distinguished from H. biformis (with which it most often confused) by the ventral and dorsal surfaces usually prominently longitudinally grooved (sometimes only on the ventral surface) (see Webb & Simpson 2001).
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: North Island (from the Central Volcanic Plateau and Kaingaroa Plain south but distribution patchy), South Island and Stewart Island/Rakiura. Records of Halocarpus bidwillii from Te Moehau (Colville, Coromandel Peninsula) are referable to H. biformis.
Habitat
Lowland to subalpine (strictly montane to alpine in the North Island). A shrub or small tree of wetland margins, bogs, poorly draining heathland, frost-flats, river beds and also dry, stony ground and tussock grassland. Halocarpus bidwillii can be locally dominant.
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 | Qualifiers: DPS, DPT
Threats
Not Threatened—though uncommon and in decline within some parts of its North Island, eastern and southern South Island range.
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Synonyms
Dacrydium bidwillii Kirk
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
Yes
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
October–December
Fruiting
February–June
Life cycle and dispersal
Arrilate seeds are dispersed by frugivory (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Easily grown from seed. Can be struck from semi-hardwood and hardwood cuttings—but often fickle. best grown in an open site in a well drained but moist soil. Dislikes drought and humidity.
Wetland plant indicator status rating
Information derived from the revised national wetland plant list prepared to assist councils in delineating and monitoring wetlands (Clarkson et al., 2021 Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research Contract Report LC3975 for Hawke’s Bay Regional Council). The national plant list categorises plants by the extent to which they are found in wetlands and not ‘drylands’. The indicator status ratings are OBL (obligate wetland), FACW (facultative wetland), FAC (facultative), FACU (facultative upland), and UPL (obligate upland). If you have suggestions for the Wetland Indicator Status Rating, please contact: [Enable JavaScript to view protected content]
FAC: Facultative
Commonly occurs as either a hydrophyte or non-hydrophyte (non-wetlands).
Other information
Etymology
halocarpus: From the Greek hals ‘sea’, ‘salty’ and karpos ‘fruit’
bidwillii: Named after the botanist - John Carne Bidwill (born 1815 and died 16 March 1853)
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.
HALBID
Chromosome number
2n = 18
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 | Qualifiers: DP
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Regional conservation statuses
Otago: 2024 | Regionally Not Threatened
The regional threat classification system leverages off the national assessments in the NZTCS, providing information relevant for the regional context. Otago conservation status information is sourced from the “Regional conservation status of indigenous vascular plants in Otago” Jarvie S et al. (2024) report.
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Allan HH. 1961. Flora of New Zealand, Volume I. Indigenous Tracheophyta: Psilopsida, Lycopsida, Filicopsida, Gymnospermae, Dicotyledones. Government Printer, Wellington, NZ. 1085 p.
Quinn CJ. 1982. Taxonomy of Dacrydium Sol. ex Lamb. emend. de Laub. (Podocarpaceae). Australian Journal of Botany 30(3): 311–320. https://doi.org/10.1071/BT9820311.
Thorsen MJ, Dickinson KJM, Seddon PJ. 2009. Seed dispersal systems in the New Zealand flora. Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 11: 285–309. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ppees.2009.06.001.
Webb CJ, Simpson MJA. 2001. Seeds of New Zealand Gymnosperms and Dicotyledons. Manuka Press, Christchurch. 428 p.
Attribution
Fact Sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange 12 November 2014: Description adapted from Allan (1961), Quinn (1982), Webb & Simpson (2001) and fresh and dried specimens.
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.
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Halocarpus bidwillii Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/halocarpus-bidwillii/ (Date website was queried)