Korthalsella clavata
Common names
dwarf mistletoe
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Dicotyledons
Simplified description
Flattened beaded succulent very small (to 8 cm) shrub growing on twigs of another plant. Leaves (flattened stems) 5–10 mm long by 1.5–3.5 mm wide, widest towards tip. Flowers tiny, fruit small, green, on short spike.
Flower colours
Green
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: North Island (from near Whakamaru south to Wairarapa and Turakirae Head), South Island (throughout, though notably more common in the east).
Habitat
Coastal to subalpine. Usually found parasitising shrubs within grey scrub communities, also found on shrubs and trees within montane alluvial forest. No clear host preference is as yet evident, though regional patterns may exist (this needs study).
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 | At Risk – Declining | Qualifiers: Sp, DPS, DPT
Detailed taxonomy
Genus
Family
Synonyms
Viscum clavatum Kirk, Korthalsella lindsayi var. clavata (Kirk) Danser
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
October–March
Fruiting
October–June
Life cycle and dispersal
Fleshy berries are dispersed by ballistic projection, attachment and possibly frugivory (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Difficult - should not be removed from the wild.
Other information
Where To Buy
Not commercially available.
Etymology
korthalsella: After Korthals, botanist
clavata: From the Latin clavatus ‘club-shaped’
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.
KORCLA
Chromosome number
2n = 28
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 | At Risk – Declining | Qualifiers: DP
2012 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: Sp
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Regional conservation statuses
Otago: 2024 | Threatened – Regionally Endangered | Qualifiers: DPR, DPS, DPT, NR, PF, Sp
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
Rebergen A, Sawyer JWD. 2005. Korthalsella clavata in the lower North Island. Wellington Botanical Society Bulletin 49: 11–15.
Nickrent DL, Malécot V, Vidal-Russell R, Der JP. 2010. A revised classification of Santalales. Taxon 59: 538–558. https://doi.org/10.1002/tax.592019.
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.