Pomaderris rugosa
Common names
pomaderris
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Dicotyledons
Simplified description
Shrub with long erect reddish fuzzy branches to 3m tall bearing narrow wrinkled narrow leaves inhabiting lowland areas of the upper North Island. Leaves 10-60mm long by 5-14mm wide, margins slightly down-curved, rusty fuzzy underneath. Flowers white, in many small clusters. Fruit dry, small.
Flower colours
Cream, Yellow
Detailed description
Erect, often widely spreading, rarely decumbent, much-branched shrub up to 3 m tall. Adult leaves 10-60 x 5-14 mm, dark green above, pale-grey, rarely rust coloured beneath, narrow-elliptic, narrow-oblong to oblong-lanceolate, obtuse, entire, margins flat in shade leaves, otherwise recurved, petiole to 5 mm; upper surface glabrous to glabrescent, sometimes with simple hairs at first, lower surface densely clothed in sessile and stalked stellate hairs, ferruginous and more conspicuous on veins; margins entire; stipules 1-2 mm long, deciduous. Juvenile leaves similar but usually larger and finely toothed. Inflorescence a rounded to sub-pyramidal, many-flowered panicle, terminal or subterminal, individual clusters compact; outer bracts pale, broadly elliptic, closely hairy; buds elongated, pale; pedicels to 3 mm. long. Flowers c.4 mm. diameter, calyx spreading, lobes 1.5 mm long, cream or pale yellow, fading to golden yellow after anthesis, deciduous; calyx-tube covered with fine close hairs, stellate except for a few simple ones. long; petals 0; style divided to c.1/2 length; petals absent. Anthers oblong. Ovary with dense stellate hairs at apex, wholly immersed in calyx tube at anthesis, ¨ø immersed at fruiting. Capsule c. 3.5 mm. long, nearly ¨ú immersed in calyx-tube, narrow, pale, losing sepals early; operculum > 1/2 coccus-length; cocci opening by opercula occupying ¨ø of their inner faces; seeds long, c.2 x 1 mm, dark brown, ant-dispersed.
Similar taxa
Easily recognised by the usually erect, much-branched growth habit, slender branches; stipules which are deciduous; glabrous adult leaves which have entire margins; and by the deciduous sepals. It is perhaps closest to P. paniculosa subsp. novae-zelandiae (L.B.Moore) N.G.Walsh which differs by its geographic isolation from P. rugosa (North Cape, Whangarei Heads), usually decumbent, prostrate, straggling growth habit and by the fruits which have persistent rather than deciduous sepals
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: North Island (Herekino, Waiti River (Between Silverdale and Orewa), Rotoroa and Ponui Islands. Coromandel Peninsula; Mayor (Tuhua) Island, west coast of Firth of Thames; Aotea and Kawhia Harbours).
Habitat
Coastal to lowland. Commonly found in open scrub overlying clay and other impoverished soils and rocks (especially Rhyolite). Also in low scrub within estuaries. The Herekino records are from forestry tracks and are disputed as natural by some botanists. Similarly there is some suggestion that the Silverdale records were the result of deliberate plantings.
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.
Please note, threat classifications are often suggested by authors when publications fall between NZTCS assessment periods – these interim threat classification statuses has not been assessed by the NZTCS panel.
- 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 | At Risk – Declining | Qualifiers: Sp, DPS, DPT, RR
Threats
Naturally uncommon but rather widespread, often sparsely distributed endemic. Most common on the Coromandel Peninsula but also abundant around the firth of Thames and on the Inner Gulf islands. It is widespread and tolerant of distrubance and often found in pine forests. There are few obvious threats.
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Rhamnaceae
Synonyms
None (first described in 1923)
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
October - December (but sporadic throughtout the year)
Fruiting
November - May
Propagation technique
Easily grown though seed can be hard to germinate. An excellent hardy shrub of a coastal property. Surprisingly frost resistant. Does best in poor, freely draining soils in full sun. Do not EVER give plant fertilise - this will kill it.
Other information
Etymology
pomaderris: Lid skin
rugosa: Wrinkled
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.
POMRUG
Chromosome number
2n = 48
Previous conservation statuses
2017 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: RR, Sp
2012 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: RR, Sp
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon
2004 | Range Restricted
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Allan, H.H. 1961: Flora of New Zealand. Vol. I. Government Printer, Wellington.
Webb, C.J.; Sykes, W.R.; Garnock-Jones, P.J. 1988: Flora of New Zealand. Vol. IV. Naturalised Pteridophytes, Gymnosperms, Dicotyledons. 4. Christchurch, New Zealand, Botany Division, D.S.I.R.
Attribution
Description based on herbarium specimens and both Allan (1961) and Webb et al. (1988).
Some of this factsheet information is derived from Flora of New Zealand Online and is used under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 New Zealand licence.