Pimelea cryptica
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 Critical | Qualifiers: Sp, DPR, DPS, DPT
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Dicotyledons
Simplified description
Low shrub with greyish hairy twigs bearing narrow leaves that have a few very small hairs at tip (lens needed), clusters of hairy white flowers and orange fruit inhabiting coastal greywacke outcrops around Wellington to Wairarapa south coast. Leaves often curved down, 6-10mm long by 2-2.5mm wide.
Detailed description
Erect, suberect, appressed to decumbent, sparsely to much-branched, shrub up to 350 mm tall (usually much smaller). Branching mainly sympodial, young stems light brown, moderately densely clad in short, appressed grey-white hairs. Internodes 1.0-1.3 mm long. Node buttresses lunate, smooth, brown, 0.2 mm, moderately prominent on leafless stems; older stems medium brown to grey. Leaves decussate, ascendant, soon becoming patent, sometimes deflexed, on short (0.2 mm), often reddish petioles. Lamina 6.0-10.0 × 2.0-2.5 mm, medium glaucous-green, narrow elliptic to narrow-ovate, sometimes obovate, flat to slightly keeled, margin upturned, mid-vein evident; tip acute but with blunt point; base cuneate; abaxial surface with very few hairs near tip, older leaves usually glabrous; stomata on both adaxial and abaxial surfaces. Inflorescences terminal, 4-8-flowered. Involucral bracts 4, the same size as ordinary leaves or slightly broader (6-3 mm). Receptacles with relatively sparse, short hairs. Plants gynodioecious. Flowers white, on short (0.3 mm) pedicels, moderately hairy outside; inside hairless. Female tube 2.2 mm long, ovary portion 2 mm, calyx lobes 1.5 × 0.6 mm. Hermaphrodite tube 5 mm long, ovary portion 1.5 mm, calyx lobes 2.2 × 1.5 mm. Anther dehiscence introrse. Ovary with cluster of long hairs at summit. Fruits broad-ovoid, fleshy, pink 7.0 × 4.5 mm. Seeds ovoid 3.2 × 1.7 mm.
Similar taxa
Pimelea cryptica is distinguished from Pimelea oreophila by its upright habit, very sparse abaxial leaf hair and pink fruits, and distinctive chromosome number (2n = 72 cf. 2n = 36 in P. oreophila subsp. oreophila). It differs from the eastern South Island (southeastern Marlborough and Canterbury) endemic P. declivis by its smaller size, very sparse leaf hair and fruit colour and apparent restriction to coastal greywacke (arenite) rock.
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: North Island (Wellington coastline from Pukerua Bay south and east to Cape Turakirae, also Wellington Harbour on Matiu/Somes and Makaro/Ward Islands). Similar plants occur between Ngawi and Cape Palliser and these warrant further study.
Habitat
Coastal. On exposed greywacke (arenite) outcrops, rock stacks and cliff faces, usually in sparsely vegetated sites.
Threats
Burrows (2011) notes Pimelea cryptica is seriously threatened and close to extinction in the wild. Unfortunately the basis for these statements were not given and the species was not assessed by Burrows using the New Zealand Threat Classification Manual (Townsend et al. 2008). Therefore, it has no valid threat assessment. Burrows (2011) inexplicably omits several additional collections of this species that were made from secure sites on islands within Wellington Harbour, and also from elsewhere along the Wellington - northern Cook Strait coastline. Plants that are probably Pimelea cryptica are also present along the western coast of Kapiti Island, and along the Cape Palliser coastline. Therefore at this stage an interim threat assessment of “Data Deficient” is probably appropriate.
Detailed taxonomy
Genus
Family
Synonyms
None (first described in 2011)
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
October - May
Fruiting
Unknown
Propagation technique
Easily grown from seed and cuttings. An unusual and rather attractive plant for a small garden, rockery or planted in a pot.
Other information
Etymology
pimelea: from Greek pimelē, meaning “lard” or “soft fat,” presumably referring to the oily seeds or fleshy cotyledons.
Chromosome number
2n = 72
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 | Data Deficient
2009 | Data Deficient
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Burrows, C.J. 2011: Genus Pimelea (Thymelaeaceae) in New Zealand 4. The taxonomic treatment of ten endemic abaxially hairy-leaved species. New Zealand Journal of Botany 49: 41–106.
Townsend, A.J.; de Lange, P.J.; Norton, D.A.; Molloy, J.; Miskelly, C.; Duffy, C. 2008: The New Zealand Threat Classification System manual. Wellington, Department of Conservation
Attribution
Fact Sheet Prepared for NZPCN by: P.J. de Lange (30 April 2011) adapted from Burrows (2011).