Pimelea ignota
Common names
pinātoro, 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: CD, CR, DPT, OL, RF
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Dicotyledons
Simplified description
Very rare low shrub with erect hair-banded reddish stems bearing overlapping pairs of bright green pointed leaves and hairy white flowers with a reddish body and white fruit inhabiting the Tai Tapu coast of Nelson. Leaves 8-12mm long by 4-5.5mm wide, leathery, edge upturned.
Flower colours
White
Detailed description
A small to medium-sized, erect to sprawling shrub, 200–300 mm high, with clustered lateral branches. Prone stems often longer. On young branchlets bands of sparse, moderately long hair usually extend the length of the internode; internodes 0.3–2 mm long; older stems glabrate to glabrous, grey-brown. Node buttresses smooth, dark brown, extending the length of the internode, conspicuous on leafless stems. Leaves decussate, loosely imbricate, coriaceous, crowded on upper branchlets, on short (0.5–1.0 mm) reddish petioles. Mature leaves glabrous, young leaves usually with a few short hairs at tip. Lamina 8–12 × 4–5.5.0 mm, broad-elliptic to broad-ovate, medium green, flat or concave above, margin thickened, slightly upturned, midvein evident but not prominent below, lateral veins obscure; obtuse, acute or slightly acuminate, sometimes with a small apicula, base cuneate. Stomata on both leaf surfaces. Inflorescences terminal on branchlets, up to 4-flowered (from count of old pedicels). Involucral bracts 4, similar in size to adjacent leaves (7.2–8.0 × 4.5–5.0 mm). Plants probably gynodioecious. Flowers white, on short pedicels (0.3 mm), tube and calyx lobes hairy on outside, inside hairless. Female tube 6 mm long, ovary portion 4 mm, calyx lobes 2.4 × 1.3 mm. No information is available on hermaphrodite flowers or anthers. Ovary with relatively sparse hair at summit. Fruits ovoid, fleshy, white, opaque 6.2 × 3.5 mm (estimate). Seeds ovoid, 3 × 1.6 mm, thin crest.
Similar taxa
Burrows (2009) states that this “species is distinguished by its sprawling to erect habit, prominent node buttresses on leafless stems, bands of sparse hair on internodes, and medium-green, uniformly sized, flat to concave (upper surface) leaves, usually with sparse short hairs near the tip, and stomata on both leaf surfaces. It differs from P. gnidia by its generally smaller size, hairy stems, and by the leaf and fruit character states”. This species is now known from seven individuals. Burrows (2009) had stated that “features of floral biology so far are known from only 3 female flowers, each from different parents; 2 flowers contained nearly mature seeds. Judged by relative positions of old receptacles, flowering occurs infrequently”. This species had hitherto been regarded as a hybrid, and indeed its extreme scarcity in the wild, the observation of poor flowering, along with its occurrence in an area previously identified by Burrows (2008) as one of rife hybridism involving P. longifolia and P. gnidia (so why not other Pimelea species?), strongly suggests this is still the case. However, since Burrows (2009) published this species, seedlings have been successfully germinated and morphologically at least these appear to be uniform and stable. Nevertheless further research into this species status perhaps using modern molecular methods is still desired.
Distribution
Endemic: South Island: North-West Nelson, Tai Tapu Coast
Habitat
Burrows (2009) states “On thin, infertile, strongly leached loess over hard Cretaceous conglomerate, in short manuka (Leptospermum scoparium) scrub, near coast”.
Threats
Previously listed as Data Deficient by de Lange et al. (2009) (as Pimelea (g) (CHR 358213; Te Tai Tapu)). Currently known from seven plants and five herbarium specimens gathered from much the same site over the last 62 years. The oldest known plant died in 2010 at the age of 30 years at least (Simon Walls, DOC, Takaka, pers. comm.). The taxonomic status of P. ignota still needs critical evaluation using modern taxonomic techniques.
Detailed taxonomy
Genus
Family
Synonyms
None (first described in 2009)
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
November
Fruiting
January
Propagation technique
Unknown. Pimelea ignota has now been successfully raised from cuttings and less easily from seed which is inclined to damp off.
Other information
Etymology
pimelea: from Greek pimelē, meaning “lard” or “soft fat,” presumably referring to the oily seeds or fleshy cotyledons.
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 Critical | Qualifiers: CD, DP, RR, RF, Sp
2012 | Threatened – Nationally Critical | Qualifiers: OL
2009 | Data Deficient
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Burrows, C.J. 2009: Genus Pimelea (Thymelaeaceae) in New Zealand 3. The taxonomic treatment of six endemic hairy-leaved species. New Zealand Journal of Botany 47: 325-354.
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange 11 November 2009. Description based on Burrows (2009).
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Pimelea ignota Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/pimelea-ignota/ (Date website was queried)