Myrsine oliveri
Synonyms
Suttonia dentata W.R.B.Oliv., Rapanea dentata (W.R.B.Oliv.) W.R.B.Oliv.
Family
Primulaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Native
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Dicotyledons
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.
MYROLI
Chromosome number
2n = 46
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: CD, IE
Previous conservation statuses
2012 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: CD, IE
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: OL, IE
2004 | Range Restricted
Brief description
Bushy shrub with yellowish green or dark green wavy leaves that sometimes have teeth along the upper edge and inhabiting the Three Kings Islands. Leaves 5-6.5cm long by 3-4cm wide. Fruit 5-7mm wide, wider than deep.
Distribution
Endemic to the Three Kings Islands, where it is known from Manawa Tawhi (Great Island), South West and West Islands.
Habitat
Coastal forest and shrubland.
Detailed description
Shrub or (rarely) a small gynodioecious tree up to 5m tall. Trunk 0.1-0.15 m dbh; usually solitary rarely multi-trunked or branching from near base, root suckers absent; epicormic growth infrequent; bark smooth, firm (not flaking), dark brown to red-brown or grey-brown, usually clean of lichens and bryophyte growth. Branches upright to shortly spreading, flexible, sparsely lenticellate; branchlets leafy, flexible, initially wine-red or pink, finely pubescent, maturing red-brown and glabrous. Leaves alternate, coriaceous, glabrous except for midrib and leaf margin which at least initially is finely pubescent, adaxially glossy dark green, yellow-green to green tinged pink (rarely sparingly spotted with red), abaxially similar but paler, oil glands numerous, minute (scarcely evident) colourless or flushed pink; midrib light green or yellow-green, slightly raised adaxially, prominently so abaxially, venation evident in fresh and dried material; petioles 5-10 mm long, stout, somewhat fleshy when fresh, dark pink, maroon or purple-black. Lamina (30-)50-65(-100) × (15-)30-40(-55) mm, obovate, elliptic to broadly cuneiform, apex rounded (if so then usually weakly emarginate) or subacute, base cuneately narrowed or attenuate; margins distinctly thickened, often slightly recurved, entire or with upper third of lamina irregularly dentate (juvenile leaves similar but smaller and with entire length of lamina margin regularly dentate). Inflorescence in densely 3-5(-8)-flowered, axillary, cymose fascicles (rarely solitary). Flowers pale yellow flushed with pink, sometimes spotted red, pedicels of flowers 1.8-2.2(-3.0) mm long, pinkish green, stout, glabrous, elongating slightly at fruiting. Pistillate flowers: calyx 1.6-2.0 mm, tube 0.5-0.8 mm, lobes (4-)5, erecto-patent,0.6-0.9 x 0.2-0.5 mm, deltoid, margins finely ciliolate, cilia pinkish; corolla 2.4-3.0 mm, tube 0.4-0.6 mm,lobes 4, erecto-patent to spreading (if spreading then with apices strongly decurved at anthesis), 2.3-3.0 x 1.3-1.4 mm, elliptic to elliptic-oblong, margins finely ciliolate, cilia pinkish, apex rounded or obtuse. Antherodes malformed, 0.45-5.8 x 0.3-0.4 mm, apiculus recurved, pollen absent. Ovary 2.0 x 2.4 mm long, ellipsoid. Stigma subsessile to sessile, 2.2-2.8 mm diameter, capitate, ± globular. Staminate flowers: calyx 1.8-2.2 mm, tube 0.65-0.8 mm, lobes 4,erecto-patent, 0.8-1.1 x 0.4-0.6 mm, deltoid, margins finely ciliolate, cilia pinkish; corolla 2.8-3.6 mm, tube 0.45-0.8 mm,lobes (4-)5, spreading (with apices strong decurved at anthesis), 2.6-3.8 x 1.6-1.9 mm, elliptic to elliptic-oblong, margins fimbriate, pinkish, apex rounded or obtuse. Stamens (4-)5, filaments 2.2-2.8 x 0.22-0.30 mm, pinkish, stamens yellow, apiculus recurved. Ovary absent or rudimentary, malformed. Bisexual flowers: calyx 1.7-2.0 mm, tube 0.34-0.7 mm, lobes 5, erecto-patent, 0.6-0.9 x 0.2-0.5 mm, deltoid, margins fimbriate, pinkish; corolla 2.42-2.8 mm, tube 0.4-0.6 mm,lobes 5, spreading (with apices strongly decurved at anthesis), 2.3-2.9 x 1.2-1.31 mm, elliptic, margins fimbriate,cilia pinkish, apex rounded or obtuse. Stamens (4-)5, filaments 2.2-2.8 x 0.22-0.30 mm, pinkish, stamens yellow, apiculus recurved. Ovary 2.0 x 2.4 mm long, ellipsoid. Stigma subsessile to sessile, 2.2-2.8 mm diameter, capitate, ± globular. Drupe 1-seeded, 5.0-8.1 mm diameter, subturbinate-globose to globose, violet to purple-black, sometimes white spotted. Endocarp 3.0-4.0 × 5.0-6.0 mm, subturbinate-globose to globose, pale brown, surface irregular with pale longitudinal veins.
Similar taxa
Myrsine oliveri is readily distinguished from the only other Myrsine present on the Three Kings, M. australis by its very much larger obovate, elliptic to broadly cuneiform, glossy dark green, yellow-green to green tinged pink (rarely sparingly spotted with red) leaves. Myrsine oliveri is perhaps most similar to M. kermadecensis, from which it differs by its more consistently toothed, and more highly coloured leaves, and by floral and fruit characters.
Flowering
July - September
Flower colours
Red/Pink, Yellow
Fruiting
October - May
Propagation technique
Easily grown from fresh seed. Can be grown from hardwood cuttings. Frost sensitive but otherwise rather hardy. In cultivation usually rather rapidly growing. The foliage is rather attractively coloured.
Threats
Once believed close to extinction this species has made a spectacular recovery and is now abundant on Manawa Tahwi (Great Island), and it is actively spreading to the other adjacent islands. It is listed only because it occupies a small geographic area.
Etymology
myrsine: Myrrh
Where To Buy
Not commercially available.
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange 11 February 2011. Original description by P.J. de Lange.
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Myrsine oliveri Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/myrsine-oliveri/ (Date website was queried)