New Zealand Plant Conservation Network
  • Member login
  • Join
Facebook
  • Home
  • Flora
    • Flora species
    • Vascular
    • Non Vascular
    • Plant identification
    • Fungi
    • Make your own book
    • Quiz
  • Threats
    • Exotic Plants (Weeds)
    • Pest Animals
    • Other threats
  • Ecosystems
    • Plant communities
    • Ecosystem services
    • Novel ecosystems
  • Publications
    • Documents
    • Newsletter
    • Plant lists
    • Botanical Society journals
    • NZPCN publications
  • Conservation
    • Seedbank
    • Training
    • Restoration
    • Monitoring
    • Habitat protection
    • Funding
    • Botanic gardens
  • NZPCN
    • News
    • Trilepidea newsletter
    • Events
    • David Given Scholarship
    • Members
    • Council members
    • Awards
    • Shop
    • Donate
    • Favourite Plant
    • Why join NZPCN?
    • Join
  • Help
    • FAQ
    • Query
    • Glossary
  • Contact us

Search flora

You are here:
  1. Home
  2. Flora
  3. Flora species
  4. Pittosporum obcordatum

Pittosporum obcordatum

Photographer: John Barkla, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>.
Cultivated (October).<br>Photographer: John Smith-Dodsworth, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Cultivated.<br>Photographer: John Smith-Dodsworth, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Cultivated.<br>Photographer: John Smith-Dodsworth, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
South Wairarapa.<br>Photographer: Jeremy R. Rolfe, Date taken: 15/02/2009, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>.
South Wairarapa.<br>Photographer: Jeremy R. Rolfe, Date taken: 15/02/2009, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>.
South Wairarapa.<br>Photographer: Jeremy R. Rolfe, Date taken: 15/02/2009, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>.
South Wairarapa.<br>Photographer: Jeremy R. Rolfe, Date taken: 15/02/2009, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>.
South Wairarapa.<br>Photographer: Jeremy R. Rolfe, Date taken: 15/02/2009, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>.
Pittosporum obcordatum.<br>Photographer: John Barkla, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>.
Pittosporum obcordatum, cultivated.<br>Photographer: John Barkla, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>.
Ruamahanga River, Wairarapa.<br>Photographer: Peter J. de Lange, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Near Wairoa, East Coast.<br>Photographer: John Sawyer, Date taken: 01/11/2010, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Near Wairoa, East Coast.<br>Photographer: John Sawyer, Date taken: 01/11/2010, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Juvenile foliage.<br>Photographer: Bill Clarkson, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Juvenile foliage.<br>Photographer: Bill Clarkson, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Covenant near Wairoa, East Coast.<br>Photographer: John Sawyer, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
In cultivation.<br>Photographer: Bill Clarkson, Date taken: 28/10/2013, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
In cultivation.<br>Photographer: Bill Clarkson, Date taken: 28/10/2013, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Seedling. Eastern Wairarapa.<br>Photographer: Jeremy R. Rolfe, Date taken: 27/02/2014, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>.
Fruit. In cultivation, Whanganui.<br>Photographer: Colin C. Ogle, Date taken: 07/04/2013, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
in cultivation.<br>Photographer: Bill Clarkson, Date taken: 18/07/2012, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Cultivated seedling ex-Taihape showing typically diverse leaf shapes and colours.<br>Photographer: Colin C. Ogle, Date taken: 11/02/2019, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Cultivated seedling ex-Taihape showing bases of juvenile leaves.<br>Photographer: Colin C. Ogle, Date taken: 11/02/2019, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
At Pehiri, Gisborne.<br>Photographer: Philip Smith, Licence: All rights reserved.
Download PDF Comment on factsheet

NZPCN members can select up to 20 plant species and automatically create a full colour, fully illustrated A4 book describing them (in PDF format).

  • Find out more...
  • Join NZPCN...
Find in plant lists
iNaturalist NZ View observations Traditional Maori Uses Click here to view Te Papa View specimens Flora of NZ Click here to view Donate Support NZPCN

Common name

heart-leaved kōhūhū

Synonyms

Pittosporum obcordatum Raoul var. obcordatum, Pittosporum obcordatum var. kaitaiaensis Laing et Gourlay

Family

Pittosporaceae

Authority

Pittosporum obcordatum Raoul

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.

PITOBC

Chromosome number

2n = 24

Current conservation status

  • Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2017

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). This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2012 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Authors: By 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.

2012 | Threatened – Nationally Vulnerable | Qualifiers: PD

Previous conservation statuses

2009 | Threatened – Nationally Vulnerable | Qualifiers: CD, PD

2004 | Threatened – Nationally Endangered

Brief description

Rare tall column-shaped shrub with interlaced wide-angled twigs bearing many scattered small rounded leaves and tiny yellowish flowers and small woody capsules. Leaves of a variety of shapes, 5-10mm wide, usually as long as wide. Juveniles leaves long, uneven, mottled. Fruit 6.5-10mm long, splitting into two.

Distribution

Endemic. New Zealand. Known from the North and South Islands. In the North Island it is known from Awanui south to the Wairarapa, with a primarily easterly distribution. In the South Island now known from several sites in the Catlins west to Lake Manapouri. About 40 plants were recently (2012) rediscovered by Melissa Hutchison on Banks Peninsula, the type locality of the species, after not being seen there for c. 170 years (Wilson, H. 2013. NZ Bot. Soc. Newsl. 112)

Habitat

A species of primarily eastern lowland alluvial forest, favouring sites prone to summer drought being otherwise waterlogged, and frost-prone during winter.

Features

Small, usually single-trunked columnar tree 5–8m tall. Branches numerous, interlacing, filamulate-divaricating. Branchlets grey to reddish-brown hairy, glabrate. Leaves alternate at seedling stage and on young branchlets, later confined to the tips of brachyblasts, numerous, tomentulose to glabrous, submembranous when young, coriaceous when adult, margins entire or crenate, flat or revolute, sparsely ciliolate; seedling lamina: 5.0–10.0 × 2.5–8.0mm, oblong, narrowly oblong, oblanceolate to elliptic, linear or spathulate, usually with apices deeply lobed, toothed and parted, sometimes entire, dark brown-green, dark green, ± mottled yellow-green; subadult lamina: 3.5–6.0 × 4.0–6.0mm, oblong, narrowly oblong to elliptic, obcordate-trilobate, dark green to yellow-green, sometimes mottled; adult lamina: 2.8–4.0 × 3.0–4.0mm, orbicular, obovate (with those near branchlet tips often rhomboid or entire); apex obcordate, to obtuse, base attenuate. Inflorescences on axillary or terminal, brachyblasts, 5–8mm long, 1–5-flowered umbellate, fascicles; pedicels c. 2mm, accrescent in fruit, pubescent, subtended by 1–5 leaves and numerous 1–2mm, caducous, sparsely ciliolate, pubescent bracts. Flowers night-fragrant, gynodioecious. Sepals 1.5–3.0 × 0.5–1.0mm, lanceolate-subulate, ovate-subulate, acute, ciliate; petals 4.0–6.5 × 0.7–1.5mm, linear-oblong, lanceolate, obtuse to subacute; connate as a short cylindrical tube with strongly reflexed tips, pink maroon or pale yellow, and then often with red-tinged margins, or striped red. Male flowers: stamens 4, filaments 2.5–4.5mm long, pink or yellow, anthers 0.5–1.0mm long, yellow or pinkish yellow; gynoecium rudimentary or functional. Female flowers: stamens 4 rudimentary (often reduced to staminodes); ovary 1.5–3.3 × 0.5–1.5mm, globose, finely pubescent to hairy; style 1.0–1.2mm long; stigma capitate, obscurely 2-lobed or truncate. Capsules 2-valved, 6.5–10.0 × 5.0–7.0mm, ovoid, subovoid to ellipsoid, apiculate, green to black, coriaceous, weakly rugose, sparsely hairy, glabrate; mucilage yellow. Seeds 2–6, irregular, globose, lustrous dark black.

Similar taxa

Within the New Zealand species of Pittosporum this species is easily recognised. However, it has superficial similarity to a range of other small-leaved divaricating shrubs. P. obcordatum is most often confused with Myrsine divaricata A.Cunn. which can be best distinguished by the small, round, purple, fleshy fruits containing a single seed, and by the dark black blotch at the leaf base petiole junction.

Flowering

Late September to early December

Flower colours

Red/Pink, Yellow

Fruiting

December to May but long persistent, such that fruit on well established plants may be found at anytime of the year.

Propagation technique

Easily grown from fresh seed, Semi-hardwood cuttings though slow to strike and easily rooted. This species will tolerate a wide range of conditions but it does best in a moist, fertile soil in semi-shaded. It has an attractive columnar growth form, and the small flowers are produced in profusion and are pleasantly scented, particularly at night.

Threats

Primarily threatened by loss of habitat. Initially this was caused by the widespread clearance of the easterly, lowland alluvial forest habitats this species favours. However, decline has continued, even within many protected forest remnants due to subtle changes in forest microclimate and hydrology, bought about by habitat fragmentation, and also many populations are threatened by the spread of aggressive weeds, which suppress (or prevent) regeneration, and can smother adult trees. Some locations consist of single trees, which are then in effect reproductively extinct. However, like many Pittosporum, plants may be either female, male or sexually inconstant, so some isolated individuals can set seed.

Etymology

pittosporum: Pitch seed

obcordatum: Reversed heart shape

Attribution

Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange 30 August 2006. Description adapted from Cooper (1956).

References and further reading

Cooper, R.C. 1956: The Australian and New Zealand species of Pittosporum. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 43: 87-188

Enright, P. 2005. Pittosporum obcordatum and Ahi Paku, finding rare plants in the eastern Wairarapa. Wellington Botanical Society Bulletin, 49: 36-45

NZPCN Fact Sheet citation

Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Pittosporum obcordatum Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/pittosporum-obcordatum/ (Date website was queried)

▲ Back to top
  • Home
  • Flora
  • Threats
  • Ecosystems
  • Publications
  • Conservation
  • NZPCN
  • Help
  • Contact us

© 2023 New Zealand Plant Conservation Network • Website by RS

Coastlands Plant Nursery Wildlands

Website sponsor

  • Home
  • Flora
    • Flora species
    • Vascular
      • Ferns
        • King fern
        • True ferns
        • Adder's tongue ferns
        • Fork ferns and whisk ferns
        • Horsetails
      • Conifers
        • Celery pines
        • Kauri
        • Podocarps
          • Podocarpus
          • Dacrydium
          • Prumnopitys
          • Dacrycarpus
          • Halocarpus
          • Lepidothamnus
          • Manoao
        • Cypress
      • Flowering plants
        • Parasites
          • Leafy mistletoes
          • Pygmy mistletoes
            • Korthalsella flowers
            • Korthalsella hosts
            • Dispersal of Korthalsella
            • Associates of Korthalsella
          • Root parasites
          • Saprophytes
        • Epiphytes
          • NZ
            • Typical
            • Occasional
            • Hemi-epiphytes
            • Ephemeral
            • NZ list
        • Monocots
          • Orchids
            • Structure
          • Grasses
        • Dicots
          • Hebes
          • Kowhai
          • Coprosma
          • Beech
          • Rata
        • Carnivorous
        • Deciduous plants
        • Aquatic plants
      • Poisonous natives
      • Threatened plant lists
      • What's a vascular plant?
      • Club mosses
    • Non Vascular
      • Bryophytes
        • Liverworts
        • Mosses
        • Hornworts
      • Algae
        • Seaweeds
      • Lichens
    • Plant identification
      • Written descriptions
      • Experts
      • Plant keys
        • Key to parasitic plant genera
      • Collecting plants
        • Should I collect
        • Choosing a specimen
        • Field notes
        • Fresh plant material
        • Pressing and drying
        • Mounting specimens
        • Labelling specimens
    • Fungi
    • Make your own book
    • Quiz
  • Threats
    • Exotic Plants (Weeds)
      • Unwanted organisms
      • DOC weeds
      • Plant me instead
      • Pest Plant Accord
    • Pest Animals
      • Mammals
        • Mustelids
        • Rodents
        • Ungulates
        • Possums
      • Fish
      • Insects
    • Other threats
      • Natural events
        • Insects
      • Human induced
        • Habitat loss
        • Collection
        • Climate change
  • Ecosystems
    • Plant communities
      • Dunes
        • Volcanic
        • Coastal
          • Threats
          • Common species
          • Research on dunes
          • Pingao research
          • What you can do
      • Wetlands
        • Estuaries
          • Common estuarine species
          • Research on estuaries
        • Ephemeral
        • Restiad peat bogs
      • Forests
        • Kauri-podocarp-broadleaved
        • Podocarp broadleaved
        • Beech
      • Scrub/shrublands
        • Geothermal
          • Distribution of geothermal vegetation
          • Geothermal plants
          • Geothermal vegetation types
          • Threats to geothermal vegetation
        • Frost flat/hollow
        • Manuka fens
        • Gumlands
      • Grasslands
        • Tussock grasslands
      • Bare ground
        • Braided rivers
        • Alpine
        • Cliff
        • Scree and boulderfields
        • Shingle beaches
      • Herbfields
        • Saltpan
    • Ecosystem services
    • Novel ecosystems
  • Publications
    • Documents
    • Newsletter
    • Plant lists
      • Plant lists by region
      • Search plant lists
      • National plant lists
      • How to prepare a plant list
    • Botanical Society journals
    • NZPCN publications
  • Conservation
    • Seedbank
      • Project 1 - Pohutukawa, Rata and Myrtaceae
      • Project 2 - Alpine flora and the Forget-Me-Nots
      • Project 3 - Kowhai and its relatives
      • Project 4 - Podocarps and trees of the forest
    • Training
      • Module 1: Plant life
      • Module 2: Covenants
      • Module 3: Propagation
      • Module 4: Wetlands
      • Pilot course 2006
    • Restoration
      • Gardening
        • Being weed wise
        • Garden plants
          • Trees and shrubs
          • Broad-leaved herbs
          • Grass-like herbs
          • Climbers
          • Ferns
        • Attracting wildlife
        • Planting for lizards
          • Rules
      • Species recovery
        • Plant translocations
      • Ecological restoration
        • Case studies
          • Tavora Reserve
          • Waiwhakareke
      • Revegetation
      • Eco-sourcing
      • Find a restoration group
    • Monitoring
      • Number count
        • Number count method
        • Pros and cons of number counts
        • Data analysis and interpretation
      • Presence/absence surveys
        • Presence/absence survey methods
        • Pros and cons of presence/absence surveys
        • Data analysis and interpretation
      • Mapping spatial extent
        • Spatial extent mapping methods
        • Pros and cons of spatial extent mapping
        • Data analysis and interpretation
      • Photo points
        • Photo point guidelines
    • Habitat protection
      • Legal protection
        • Nga Whenua Rahui
        • QEII covenants
        • DOC Covenants
      • Animal pest control
      • Weed control
      • Fencing
    • Funding
    • Botanic gardens
  • NZPCN
    • News
    • Trilepidea newsletter
    • Events
      • Conference 2022
        • Conference programme summary
        • 2022 conference workshops
        • 2022 conference field trips
        • Code of conduct
        • COVID-19 information
        • 2022 conference sponsors
        • Abstract and poster submission
        • 2022 Conference venue and accommodation
        • Conference Workshop: Restoration Pathways
        • 2022 conference postponement
      • Conference 2019
      • Conference 2017
      • Conference 2015
        • Speakers
        • Workshops
        • Field trips
        • Charity auction
      • Conference 2013
        • Speakers
        • Timetable
      • 2023 Restoration Pathways Workshop
    • David Given Scholarship
      • David Given Scholarship Recipients
    • Members
    • Council members
      • NZPCN council member profiles
      • Council 2013
      • Council 2012
      • Council 2011
      • Council 2010
      • Council 2009
      • Council 2008
      • Council 2007
      • Council 2006
      • Council 2005
      • Council 2004
      • Council 2003
    • Awards
      • NZPCN Awards
        • 2019
        • 2018
        • 2017
        • 2016
        • 2015
        • 2014
        • 2013
        • 2012
        • 2011
        • 2010
        • 2009
        • 2008
        • 2007
        • 2006
        • 2005
        • 2022
    • Shop
    • Donate
    • Favourite Plant
    • Why join NZPCN?
    • Join
  • Help
    • FAQ
      • Joining the Network
      • The Network
      • Network website
      • New Zealand plants
      • The law
      • Your discoveries
    • Query
    • Glossary
  • Contact us