Lepidothamnus laxifolius
Common names
pygmy pine
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Gymnosperms
Flower colours
No flowers
Detailed description
Dioecious or monoecious, sprawling shrub. Branches 2–5(-10) mm diameter towards base, up to 1 m long or more; branchlets numerous, very slender, flexuous. Foliage polymorphic; juveniles 5-12 mm. long, subulate to narrow-linear, acute, flat, often curved; later leaves lessening to 2-3 mm long (often flowering and fruiting in this stage); fully adult leaves 1-2 mm long, appressed, imbricating, oblong-ovate, obtuse, keeled; branchlets often showing a mixture of leaf-forms. Male strobili solitary, terminal, sessile, up to 8 mm. long; apiculus broadly triangular, acute. Female cones may be found on the same plant as male strobili. Ovule solitary, terminal. Receptacle swollen, red/crimson, succulent, rarely dry. Seed 3–5 mm. long, black, nutlike, oblong-cylindrical, obtuse, with stout, curved apiculus, far exserted beyond epimatium.
Similar taxa
Manoao colensoi is a much larger plant.
Lepidothamnus intermedius is generally a larger plant, yet may occur in dwarf-form, a much stouter less flexible plant. Both species can be seen growing side by side. Occasionally seen as a hybrid between L. intermedius and L. laxifolius which can make identification very difficult until one is very familiar with all the parent species (illustrated in Wilson & Galloway, 1993).
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: North Island, (Coromandel Range, Raukumara Range, Te Uruwera through the Central Volcanic Plateau and Kaingaroa Plain south in a patchy distribution to Ruahine Range), South Island (mostly west of main divide from Kahurangi Range south to Fiordland), and Stewart Island.
Habitat
Montane and subalpine, rarely lower alpine, shrubland and open scrub, usually on wet ground.
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.
Please note, threat classifications are often suggested by authors when publications fall between NZTCS assessment periods – these interim threat classification statuses has not been assessed by the NZTCS panel.
- 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
Family
Podocarpaceae
Synonyms
Dacrydium laxifolium Hook.f.
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
Male cone: October-December
Fruiting
February-April
Life cycle and dispersal
Arrilate seeds are dispersed by frugivory (Thorsen et al., 2009).
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
lepidothamnus: From the Greek lepido ‘scale’ & thamnos ‘crowded or close set’
laxifolius: Soft-leaved
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.
LEPLAX
Chromosome number
2n = 30
Previous conservation statuses
2017 | Not Threatened
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Allan, H. H. 1961. Flora of New Zealand. Vol. 1. Wellington: Government Printer. Page 110-111.
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.
Wilson, H.D. and Galloway, T., 1993. Small-leaved shrubs of New Zealand. Christchurch: Manuka Press. Pages 253-254.
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by M.D. Ward (12 April 2024). Description from Allan (1961), Wilson & Galloway (1993).
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: Ward, M.D. (Year at time of access): Lepidothamnus laxifolius Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/lepidothamnus-laxifolius/ (Date website was queried)