Pimelea aridula subsp. oliga
Common names
pimelea
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
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: DPR, DPS, DPT, RR, RF
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Dicotyledons
Simplified description
Bushy small shrub with pairs of greyish hairy narrow pointed leaves inhabiting very dry rocky sites in Marlborough. Twigs hairy, flexible. Leaves 6-15mm long by 2-3mm wide, widest at base, pointed, hairy on both surfaces. Flowers white, in clusters. Fruit dry, enclosing black seed.
Flower colours
White
Detailed description
A medium-sized, slender upright shrub, up to 0.7 m. Long-stemmed plants may be fastigiate; short-stemmed plants often have more divergent branches. Branching mainly sympodial. Main stems flexible. Young branchlets brown, moderately to densely covered with long hair; internodes 0.5-2.0 mm; old stems at the base may be stout (= 10 mm diameter), grey-brown, glabrous. Node buttresses lunate, brown, hairy, often masked by hairs on young stems, moderately conspicuous on leafless stems. Leaves usually decussate, on short, red petioles (0.5 mm), rarely alternate on some young branchlets, ascending, loosely imbricate. Lamina 6-15 × 2-3 mm, medium green, slightly adaxially concave, narrow-ovate, acute, base cuneate, both surfaces sparsely to moderately densely covered by appressed white sericeous to villous hairs, comose at tip. Stomata on both leaf surfaces. Inflorescences terminal, 5-10-flowered, sometimes in small clusters. Involucral bracts similar in size to adjacent leaves or slightly wider (8.0-10 × 3.2 mm), partly hiding the flowers. Receptacle densely hairy. Plants gynodioecious. Flowers white, on short pedicels (0.5 mm), densely hairy outside, internally glabrous. Female tube 3.0 mm long, ovary portion 2 mm, calyx lobes 1.3 × 0.7 mm; hermaphrodite tube 6.0 mm long, ovary portion 2.5 mm, calyx lobes 2.0 × 1.3 mm. Anther dehiscence introrse. Ovary hairy from summit to two thirds of the way down. Fruits ovoid, dry, brown, 4.0 × 2.3 mm. Seeds ovoid 3.0-4.0 × 1.9-2.1 mm.
Similar taxa
Pimelea aridula subsp. oliga is most likely to be confused with P. concinna, a species with which it is sometimes sympatric. Both Pimelea form relatively tall shrubs with mostly upright growth habits. From Pimelea concinna, P. aridula subsp. oliga can be distinguished by the leaves, which are 8-12 mm rather than 5-8 mm long. Pimelea aridula subsp. oliga differs from subsp. aridula by its allopatric distibution (being geographically confined to Marlborough) and its shorter growth habit with more slender, flexible stems, and by the narrow-elliptic to narrow-ovate leaves whose surfaces are usually sparsely to moderately invested by long sericeous to villous white hairs.
Distribution
Endemic. South Island: Eastern Marlborough, relatively close to the coast in the Flaxbourne River and Wharekiri Stream catchments. Further inland in the Awatere Valley, Chalk Range and middle Clarence Valley (West of the Seaward Kaikoura Range)
Habitat
Lowland to montane. On limestone outcrops and screes (occasionally on sandstone)
Threats
Pimelea aridula subsp. oliga is listed in Appendix 2 of de Lange et al. (2011; p.90) as Pimelea aff. aridula (CHR 277514; South Marlborough). Burrows (2011) offers no data to support or refute that status, though he does indicate this subspecies is highly threatened, citing farming as a major threat through causing habitat loss. Burrows (2011) also provides data to suggest that introgression with other Pimelea may be a threat. This needs to be properly studied.
Detailed taxonomy
Genus
Family
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
October - January
Fruiting
December - May
Propagation technique
Easily grown from semi-hardwood cuttings. Does best in a free-draining, sunny site with fertile soil. Dislikes competition from taller plants and humidity. Will not tolerate being shaded out. An excellent pot plant or small shrub for a rockery.
Other information
Etymology
pimelea: from Greek pimelē, meaning “lard” or “soft fat,” presumably referring to the oily seeds or fleshy cotyledons.
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.
PIMASO
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: DP, RR
2012 | Threatened – Nationally Vulnerable | Qualifiers: DP, RR, Sp
2009 | Threatened – Nationally Critical | Qualifiers: DP, RR
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Burrows, C.J. 2011: Genus Pimelea (Thymelaeaceae) in New Zealand 5. The taxonomic treatment of five endemic species with both adaxial and abaxial leaf hair. New Zealand Journal of Botany 49: 367-412.
de Lange, P.J.; Norton, D.A.; Courtney, S.P.; Heenan, P.B.; Barkla, J.W.; Cameron, E.K.; Hitchmough, R.; Townsend, A.J. 2009: Threatened and uncommon plants of New Zealand (2008 revision). New Zealand Journal of Botany 47: 61-96.
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange (30 September 2011): Description based on Burrows (2011)
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Pimelea aridula subsp. oliga Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/pimelea-aridula-subsp-oliga/ (Date website was queried)