Phyllocladus alpinus
Common names
mountain celery pine, mountain toatoa
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Gymnosperms
Flower colours
No flowers
Detailed description
Monoecious shrub or tree up to 6 m, trunk short, up to 400 mm diameter. Phylloclades alternate to subopposite, rhachis short. Leaves of seedlings and juveniles up to 15 mm, narrow-linear, acute, deciduous, of older plants shorter. Phylloclades of juvenile plants up to 20 mm long, deeply divided, thin, with narrow-linear segments; those of adults thick, coriaceous, 10–25 mm, dark green to glaucous green above, glaucous below; shape various—narrow-rhomboid or spathulate, sparingly or much lobed, often elliptic to obovate, cuneate at base, apex subacute to broad-obtuse, margins crenate, leaf-denticles small. Male strobili 5–6 mm long in fascicles of 2–5, rarely solitary, apical, with pedicels 1–2 mm long; sporophylls with small variously shaped apiculi, sometimes erose. Carpidia densely clustered towards bases of phylloclades, or marginal, rarely solitary; receptacle of red, fleshy scales; mature heads c. 6–7 mm. diameter. Seeds nutlike, black. exserted, ovoid, compressed, c. 2.5 mm long, obtuse; cupule white, irregularly lobed, up to ⅔ the length of seed.
Similar taxa
Distinguished from the other named celery pines (tanekaha (P. trichomanoides) and toatoa (P. toatoa)) by the shrub to small tree-forming growth habit, and glaucous simple phylloclades. It differs from P. aff. alpinus (see Taxonomic Notes below) by the dark green glaucous rather than yellow phylloclades and shrub to small tree-forming growth habit. In some parts of its range it is sympatric with P. aff. alpinus (such as the Richmond Range, near Nelson)
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: North Island (from the Kaingaroa Plain, Whirinaki and Pureora (and frost flats nearby) south through the Central Volcanic Plateau, and main axial ranges) and South Island (throughout).
Habitat
Mostly subalpine to low alpine but also present at times at lower elevations (200 m a.s.l. or less) on impoverished soils, especially in frost flats and other similar natural temperature inversion sites.
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 | Not Threatened
Detailed taxonomy
Genus
Family
Synonyms
Phyllocladus trichomanoides var. alpina (Hook.f.) Parl in DC.
Taxonomic notes
Allan (1961) adopted a very broad concept for Phyllocladus alpinus including within it a very distinct form with yellow phylloclades of lowland to montane forests and which (under certain conditions such as in the lowland forests of the west coast of the South Island) can form a large tree up to 15 m tall. This form is probably better treated as a distinct species and as such was the subject of considerable study by Dr Brian Molloy. This is the form that is found on Mt Moehau (where it has variously been called a hybrid or another new species (P. “Moehau” of some treatments) allied to P. aff. alpinus, but which it is now agreed is the same unnamed species) and which is also in cloud forest on the high points of the Coromandel Peninsula (Maumaupaki, Table Mountain), Kaimai (Te Aroha, Ngatamahinerua), Raukumara and Te Urewera Ranges, as well as in isolated pockets in the Tararua Ranges. This form is also occasionally sympatric with P. alpinus in the Richmond Range. It is most common from Kahurangi National Park (Wakamarama Range) south to south Westland. The description and notes provided in this Fact Sheet does not include this entity.
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
October–December
Fruiting
January–June
Propagation technique
Easily grown from fresh seed and, with some difficulty, by hard wood cuttings. As a rule rather slow growing and suited for cultivation in warm climates. Often very slow growing though once established it forms a beautiful small tree. Some selection of wild forms is needed as leaf colours from dark green to plants that richly coloured blue-grey (this is retained in cultivation).
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
Etymology
phyllocladus: Leaf branch, referring to the leaf-like stems
alpinus: From the Latin alpes ‘the Alps’, refers to plants growing in mountainous areas
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.
PHYALP
Chromosome number
2n = 18
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 | Not Threatened
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Regional conservation statuses
Otago: 2024 | Regionally Not Threatened
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
Allan HH. 1961. Flora of New Zealand, Volume I. Indigenous Tracheophyta: Psilopsida, Lycopsida, Filicopsida, Gymnospermae, Dicotyledones. Government Printer, Wellington, NZ. 1085 p.
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange 1 August 2004. Description adapted from Allan (1961).
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: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Phyllocladus alpinus Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/phyllocladus-alpinus/ (Date website was queried)