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  4. Melicytus flexuosus

Melicytus flexuosus

Melicytus flexuosus, Catlins.<br>Photographer: John Barkla, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Flowering, Mataroa, near Taihape (November).<br>Photographer: John Smith-Dodsworth, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Melicytus flexuosus juvenile plant.<br>Photographer: John Smith-Dodsworth, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Melicytus flexuosus shrub showing growth form.<br>Photographer: A. J. Townsend, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Melicytus flexuosus flowers.<br>Photographer: Shannel Courtney, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Flowers.<br>Photographer: Mike Thorsen, Licence: All rights reserved.
Melicytus flexuosus shrub showing growth form, Waione Frost Flat, Whirinaki Forest Park.<br>Photographer: Paul Cashmore, Date taken: 01/04/2005, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0'>CC BY-SA</a>.
Whirinaki Forest Park, April 2005.<br>Photographer: Paul Cashmore, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0'>CC BY-SA</a>.
Melicytus flexuosus, Catlins.<br>Photographer: John Barkla, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Melicytus flexuosus, Catlins.<br>Photographer: John Barkla, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Growing in riparian floodplain forest, central Southland.<br>Photographer: Jesse Bythell, Date taken: 16/05/2016, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
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Biostatus

Native – Endemic taxon

Category

Vascular

Structural class

Trees & Shrubs - Dicotyledons

Simplified description

Greyish widely branched tangled shrub with speckled nearly leafless twigs in open sites. Sparse leaves occur on plants in the shade, 10–20 mm long by 1 mm wide, dark green. Flowers small, bell-shaped, sweetly perfumed, under branches. Fruit small, purple.

Flower colours

Cream, Yellow

Detailed description

Shrub to 5 metres tall, with interlaced, almost leafless, whip-like, grey-green branchlets. Branchlet surfaces pitted with lots of tiny white spots (lenticels). Leaves absent or 10–20 mm long, dark green to brown-green, entire or slightly toothed. Seedlings have narrow, brown leaves with a few coarse teeth or lobes along their leaf edges. Flowers strongly perfumed, pale yellow, c. 2–3 mm diameter. Fruit a berry, 3.5–5.0 mm diameter.

Similar taxa

None.

Distribution

Endemic. New Zealand: North Island (Waione Frost Flats and Pureora-Taihape region), South Island (widespread). The northern limit for this species occurs at Pureora in Waikato.

Habitat

Fertile alluvial terraces and flood plains in sites prone to heavy frosts and summer drought; often on forest margins and amongst scrub in frosty hollows.

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 | Threatened – Nationally Vulnerable | Qualifiers: CD, DPS, RF

Jump to previous conservation statuses

Threats

Habitat loss through development, particularly forestry and rural development, weed encroachment.

Detailed taxonomy

Family

Violaceae

Authority

Melicytus flexuosus Molloy et A.P.Druce

Synonyms

Hymenanthera angustifolia R.Br auct. non. of N.Z. authors, Hymenanthera dentata R.Br. auct. non. of N.Z. authors, Hymenanthera dentata var. angustifolia (R.Br.) Benth. auct. non. of N.Z. authors, Melicytus angustifolius (R.Br.) Garn.-Jones auct. non. of N.Z. authors.

Taxonomic notes

The New Zealand plant has frequently been associated with two Australian endemics, both now transferred to Melicytus, and known there as M. angustifolius and M. dentatus (R.Br.) Mabberly et Molloy respectively.

Endemic taxon

Yes

Endemic genus

No

Endemic family

No

Ecology

Flowering

August–November.

Fruiting

February–May.

Propagation technique

Fresh seed, though slow to germinate, is usually the best way to grow this species. It can be grown from semi-hardwood and hardwood cuttings but these are often slow and the strike rate can be very variable.

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]

FACU: Facultative Upland

Occasionally is a hydrophyte but usually occurs in uplands (non-wetlands).

Other information

Cultivation

Rarely offered by specialist native plant nurseries and almost never by commercial nurseries. This is a shame because the almost leafless branches and divaricating shrub form, as well as its hardy nature and tolerance of a wide range of soils, climates and moisture regimes makes it an ideal plant for modern gardens.

Plant of the Month

This plant has been featured as a Plant of the Month – see Trilepidea: NZPCN newsletter for January 2011 for the full story.

Etymology

melicytus: From the Greek meli (honey) and kytos (hollow container), referring to the staminal nectaries of the flowers. Literally “honey-cave”

flexuosus: Torturous, winding

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.

MELFLE

Chromosome number

2n = 32

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 | Threatened – Nationally Vulnerable | Qualifiers: CD, RF

2012 | At Risk – Declining | Qualifiers: CD, RF

2009 | At Risk – Declining | Qualifiers: RF, CD

2004 | Gradual Decline

Jump to current conservation status

Regional conservation statuses

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.

Otago: 2024 | Threatened – Regionally Endangered | Qualifiers: DPR, NStr, PF, RF, RR

Referencing and citations

References and further reading

Molloy BPJ, Druce AP. 1994. A new species name in Melicytus (Violaceae) from New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 32(2): 113–118. https://doi.org/10.1080/0028825X.1994.10410362.

Attribution

Fact Sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange 1 August 2003. Description based on Molloy & Druce (1994).

NZPCN Fact Sheet citation

Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Melicytus flexuosus Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/melicytus-flexuosus/ (Date website was queried)

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