Montia erythrophylla
Synonyms
Neopaxia erythrophylla Heenan; Previously all the New Zealand Neopaxia had been known as Neopaxia australasica (Hook.f.) O.Nilsson which is now regarded as an Australian endemic
Family
Montiaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Native
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Chromosome number
2n = c.85
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) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website. This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2012 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants.
Please note, threat classifications are often suggested by authors when publications fall between NZTCS assessment periods – an interim threat classification status has not been assessed by the NZTCS panel.
- Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2017 . 2018. 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. Department of Conservation. Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2017 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: DP, RR, Sp
Previous conservation statuses
2012 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: RR, Sp
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: DP
2004 | Sparse
Distribution
Endemic. South island, easterly along the main divide from Marlborough to Canterbury
Habitat
A scree species where it usually grows in fine-grained, more stable, moist screes, and in gravel, debris slopes and on or near rock outcrops.
Features
Herb up to 200 mm diameter, forming loose to compact mats. Leaves up to 35 x 3.2 mm, spathulate; lamina narrowly elliptic to elliptic; both leaf surfaces red-brown to red, dull; undersides with flat surfaces or sometimes slightly concave; upper surface flat or slightly convex; apex obtuse; base attenuate; petiole often distinct but grading into lamina base; old leaves orange to orange-yellow. Involucral leaves 3.0-3.5 x 3.2-3.5 mm, red-brown; lateral fold absent or indistinct; apex obtuse. Flower 9.5-14 mm diameter. Tepals 4.8-7.9 x 2.3-4.6 mm, broadly elliptic to obovate, white in bud and at maturity - usually flushed pink, not overlapping; apex obtuse, rarely notched; claw weakly differentiated. Nectary green. Filaments 2.8-3.8 mm long, slightly > or more or less equal 1/2 tepal length, white. Anthers 0.7-0.8 x 0.3-0.4 mm, pink to pink-red. Ovary 0.9-1.2 x 0.8-1 mm, obovoid, red-green to brown-green; sutures not prominent. Style 2.4-3.1 mm long; white with base flushed green. Stigmatic branches 1.2-1.6 mm long, white, 2.1 mm. Seeds 1.4-1.7 x 1.2-1.6 mm, slightly to moderately rugose, dark brown, red-brown to black.
Similar taxa
A well marked species whose consistently dull reddish spathulate, flat leaves up to 3.2 mm wide, with distinct petioles, and pink to pink-red anthers readily distinguish this species for the other indigenous members of the genus. It is perhaps closest to N. racemosa (Buchanan) Heenan an ultramafic endemic which differs by its glossy, linear leaves up to 1.8 mm wide, coloured brown to green-brown, with indistinct petioles and cream anthers.
Flowering
November-January
Flower colours
Red/Pink, White
Fruiting
December-March
Propagation technique
Difficult - should not be removed from the wild
Threats
Not threatened but quite uncommon though widely and naturally sparsely distributed.
Etymology
montia: Named after the Italian botanist, Giuseppe Monti (1682-1760);
Where To Buy
Not commercially available
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by P.J. de Lange for NZPCN (1 June 2013)
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Montia erythrophylla Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/montia-erythrophylla/ (Date website was queried)