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  4. Pseudopanax laetus

Pseudopanax laetus

Pseudopanax laetus.<br>Photographer: Mike Thorsen, Licence: All rights reserved. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Close up, Pseudopanax laetus mature foliage, Upper Kaueranga Valley.<br>Photographer: John Smith-Dodsworth, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Pseudopanax laetus close up of inflorescence with flowers during male phase, Ex Cult. Puhoi.<br>Photographer: Peter J. de Lange, Date taken: 30/09/2006, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Pseudopanax laetus close up of leaf bud and emergent foliage, Ex Cult. Puhoi.<br>Photographer: Peter J. de Lange, Date taken: 30/09/2006, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Juvenile, Kauaeranga Valley (October).<br>Photographer: John Smith-Dodsworth, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Pseudopanax laetus juvenile, October, Kauaeranga Valley.<br>Photographer: John Smith-Dodsworth, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Pseudopanax laetus, a fruiting specimen, October, Kauaeranga Valley.<br>Photographer: John Smith-Dodsworth, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Neopanax laetus in fruit.<br>Photographer: Peter J. de Lange, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Te Anga, Waitomo. Dec 1981.<br>Photographer: Colin C. Ogle, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Kaueranga Valley, Coromandel.<br>Photographer: Mike Thorsen, Date taken: 22/10/2012, Licence: All rights reserved. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Kaueranga Valley, Coromandel.<br>Photographer: Mike Thorsen, Date taken: 22/10/2012, Licence: All rights reserved. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
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Biostatus

Native – Endemic taxon

Category

Vascular

Structural class

Trees & Shrubs - Dicotyledons

Simplified description

Bushy shrub with large hand-shaped leaves on red stalks

Detailed description

Small multi-branched tree to 5 m tall, branchlets brittle. Leaves alternate, leaflets 5–7, palmate, on short petiolules. Petiole to 25 cm long, sheathing branchlet at base, stipules present, purplish red. Petiolules stout, purplish red or leaflets subsessile. Leaflets obovate- to cuneate-oblong, thick and coriaceous, green above, paler below, margin coarsely dentate-serrate in distal half, acute or acuminate to subacute; midveins and main lateral veins obvious above and below; teminal lamina 12–25 × 5–10 cm or more, lateral leaflets smaller. Inflorescence a terminal, compound umbel, flowers sometimes subracemose on secondary rays; primary rays (branchlets) 10–15; 15–20 secondary rays. Calyx truncate or obscurely 5-toothed; petals ovate-oblong, acute. Ovary 2-loculed, each containing 1 ovules; style branches 2, spreading. Fruit fleshy, purple, c. 5 mm diameter, laterally compressed, style branches retained on an apical disc. Seeds 2 per fruit, broadly-ovate or oblong, wrinkled, 3.4–4.7–(5.1) mm long.

Similar taxa

The dark red petioles and large leaflets of this species are distinctive

Distribution

Endemic. New Zealand: North Island (from Coromandel to inland Gisborne and Taranaki).

Habitat

Montane forest.

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 | At Risk – Declining | Qualifiers: DPS, DPT

Jump to previous conservation statuses

Threats

This species is highly palatable to browsing animals. Subsequently it is usually only found in cliff refugia or other similar sites inaccessible to browsing animals. Possums seriously damage plants and have been responsible for its near extinction in some parts.

This plant has naturalised out of its natural range in New Zealand and is weedy in parts of Southern New Zealand including Invercargill and Stewart Island. Caution should be exercised when planting it out of its natural range.

Detailed taxonomy

Family

Araliaceae

Authority

Pseudopanax laetus (Kirk) Allan

Synonyms

Panax arboreus var. laetus Kirk, Nothopanax laetus (Kirk) Cheeseman, Neopanax laetus (Kirk) Philipson

Taxonomic notes

This species was transferred back to Neopanax Allan by: Frodin & Govaerts (2003).

Endemic taxon

Yes

Endemic genus

Yes

Ecology

Flowering

(August)–September–November

Fruiting

October–February

Propagation technique

Very easy from fresh seed. Can be grown from semi-hardwood cuttings. Very fast growing and tolerant of a wide range of soil types and moisture regimes but dislikes very dry soils. Best in damp soils.

Other information

Cultivation

Common in cultivation and sold by most plant nurseries.

Etymology

pseudopanax: False cure

laetus: From the Latin laetus ‘bright’

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.

PSELAE

Chromosome number

2n = 48

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 | At Risk – Declining | Qualifiers: DP

2012 | Not Threatened

2009 | Not Threatened | Qualifiers: RF

2004 | Gradual Decline

Jump to current conservation status

Referencing and citations

References and further reading

Allan HH. 1961. Flora of New Zealand, Volume I. Indigenous Tracheophyta: Psilopsida, Lycopsida, Filicopsida, Gymnospermae, Dicotyledones. Government Printer, Wellington, NZ. 1085 p.

Eagle A. 2006. Eagle’s complete trees and shrubs of New Zealand. Te Papa Press, Wellington, NZ. 2-volume boxed set: vol. 1 pp 1–529; vol. 2: pp 532–1114.

Frodin DG, Govaerts R. 2003. World Checklist and Bibliography of Araliaceae, The Cromwell Press, European Union. 444 p.

Webb CJ, Simpson MJA. 2001. Seeds of New Zealand Gymnosperms and Dicotyledons. Manuka Press, Christchurch. 428 p.

Attribution

Description adapted from Allan (1961), Eagle (2006), Webb and Simpson (2001).

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.

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