Pimelea suteri
Family
Thymelaeaceae
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.
PIMSUT
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: RR
Previous conservation statuses
2012 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: RR
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon
2004 | Range Restricted
Simplified description
Small shrub with erect thin hairy twigs bearing pairs of widely spaced pointed leaves that are hairy underneath, hairy white flowers and red fruit inhabiting ultramafic areas in the northern South Island and on Mid Dome (Southland). Leaves often brownish, 5-8mm long by 1-2mm wide.
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: South Island (Red Hills, Mt Dun, ultramafites of Richmond Range, West Dome).
Habitat
Montane to alpine. On ultramafic rocks in open, stony ground, or in shrubby or well-vegetated tussock grassland.
Detailed description
Small, much-branched shrub. In open, exposed sites relatively compact and often appressed or decumbent, to 800 mm tall, with short, stiff stems. In shaded sites stems slender, procumbent, flexible, to 300 mm long. Branching sympodial and lateral, young stems medium brown, moderately densely covered in short, appressed hairs; internodes 1–2 mm (exposed sites), 3–5 mm (sheltered sites). Older stems dark brown to black, glabrate to glabrous. Node buttresses lunate to elongate, brown, hairy, not prominent on leafless stems. Leaves decussate, ascending,becoming patent, on very short (0.2 mm) petioles or sessile. Lamina olive green, linear-lanceolate, sometimes slightly falcate, 5.0–8.0 × 0.8–2.0 mm, slightly keeled, may be inrolled when dry; tip acute, but blunt; base cuneate, mid-vein evident; abaxial surface covered with sparse, short hairs, along mid-vein and margins of young leaves, often with a small tuft at the tip; older leaves glabrous; stomata on both adaxial and abaxial surfaces. Inflorescences terminal, loose, 4–10-flowered. Involucral bracts 4, wider than ordinary leaves (5.0 × 2.8 mm). Receptacles have dense, short hairs. Plants gynodioecious. Flowers white, on short (0.1 mm) pedicels, calyx lobes ascending, outside covered in very dense short hairs; inside hairless. Female tube 4.2 mm long, ovary portion 2.8 mm, calyx lobes 2 ×1 mm; hermaphrodite tube 4.5 mm long, ovary portion 2 mm, calyx lobes 2.0 × 1.2 mm. Anther dehiscence introrse. Ovary with small cluster of long hairs at summit. Fruits ovoid, red, fleshy, 4 × 2 mm. Seeds 2.3 ×1.2 mm. Crest very thin.
Similar taxa
Until the ongoing revision of New Zealand Pimelea is completed (see other fact sheets) it is difficult to provide a set of reliable characters that distinguish Pimelea suteri from allied species (in particular members of the P. oreophila complex). Allan (1961) distinguished Pimelea suteri by the leaves bearing (at least when young) hairs (on the margins and apex), by the lamina being narrow-linear (which agrees mostly with the revised description offered by Burrows (2011) 8-9 mm long, and by the stiff “tortuous” branches. These features occur also in P. oreophila which was omitted from Allan’s Pimelea treatment. In the past there has been much confusion between P. suteri and P. oreophila. It would seem that the best way to separate P. suteri from P. oreophila is by its restriction to ultramafic substrates; by its often erect, compact growth habit; short, stiff branches and narrow linear-lanceolate leaves. In time, once the Pimelea revision is completed other characters will become evident
Flowering
September - February
Flower colours
White
Fruiting
December - April
Propagation technique
Can be grown from semi-hardwood and hardwood cuttings. Usually rather slow growing and does best when planted in a well drained, sunny situation (such as in a rockery) or in a pot. Responds well to regular applications of magnesium rich fertiliser
Threats
Pimelea suteri is a narrow-range, biologically sparse, obligate endemic of ultramafic substrates and their associated soils. Although it is common in the northern part of its range it is rather scarce in the southern part of its range. No threats have been identified for this species other than the spread of wildling pines on the Red Hills in the upper Wairau.
Etymology
pimelea: Pimeleoides means “resembling Pimelea’’, a genus in the family Thymelaeaceae (Greek, -oides = resembling, like).
Where To Buy
Not commercially available.
Attribution
Fact Sheet Prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange (28 April 2011). Description adapted from Burrows (2011).
References and further reading
Allan, H.H. 1961: Flora of New Zealand. Vol. I, Wellington, Government Printer.
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.
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Pimelea suteri Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/pimelea-suteri/ (Date website was queried)