Raukaua edgerleyi
Common names
raukawa
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 | At Risk – Declining | Qualifiers: CD, DPS, DPT, PF
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Dicotyledons
Simplified description
Tree with fragrant glossy adult leaves on long petioles and juveniles with uneven leaves arranged like fingers on a hand
Flower colours
Green
Detailed description
Tree 10-12 m tall; glabrous, branchlets ascending, bark cream to pale grey, rough. Leaves alternate, in juvenile plants 3-5-foliolate; adult leaves single; stipules absent. Petioles of juvenile to 10 cm long, 1.5-5 cm long in adults, reddish. Juvenile lamina 5-15 x 1.5-3.5 cm, linear oblong, deeply lobed, lobes acuminate to acute, terminal lamina subsessile or shortly petiolulate, thin. Adult lamina becoming entire, 5-10 cm long, membraneous to subcoriaceous, obovate to ellpitc-oblong, acuminate to obtuse, base cuneate, shiny dark green above, paler below, veins visible above and below, midrib raised, green above, reddish below and often bearing small hooks, aromatic when crushed. Inflorescence axillary, a raceme bearing three or more 10-15 flowered umbellules on short peduncles. Flowers 4-5 mm in diameter, green, in male or female clusters on same raceme; calyx minutely 5-toothed; ovary 2-4-carpellate; style branches (2)-3-4, connate, free at tips; stamens 5, projecting, < petals. Fruit fleshy, 3-4 mm, globose, green ripening to dark purple; style bases retained on apical disc. Seeds 3-5 per fruit, ovate to broadly ovate, straight along ventral edge, surface irregularly ridged and dimpled, 2.0-3.4(-3.7) mm long.
Similar taxa
Juveniles often confused with juvenile Schefflera digitata, which usually has around 7 leaflets and the lobes are finely toothed. Adult may be confused with Raukaua simplex, whose leaflets are toothed and are not aromatic when crushed.
Distribution
Endemic. North (Kaitaia southwards), South and Stewart Islands. Scattered and infrequent.
Habitat
Lowland to montane forest. Near sea level to 900 m a.s.l.
Threats
Heavily browsed by mammalian browsers. Consequently infrequently encountered throughout its range
Detailed taxonomy
Genus
Family
Synonyms
Panax edgerleyi Hook.f., Nothopanax edgerleyi (Hook.f.) Harms, Pseudopanax edgerleyi (Hook.f.) C.Koch in C.Koch et Fint; Raukaua edgerleyi var. edgerleyi (Hook.f.) Seem.
Taxonomic notes
Mitchell et al. accepted var. serratus (T.Kirk)A.D.Mitchell, D.Frodin et M.Heads for plants on Stewart Island and western Fiordland with adult leaves coarsely serrate and 2-3 carpellate ovaries. However plants with these characters can be found elsewhere and adult plants with entire leaves are also found on Stewart Island. It is possible that var. serratus is of hybrid origin.
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
September to December
Fruiting
October to March but some fruit may be present throughout the year
Propagation technique
Easily grown from fresh seed and semi-hardwood cuttings. Can be tricky to maintain. Likes damp soils and a semi-shaded situation, but in cooler and wetter climates it will grow in exposed situations.
Other information
Plant of the Month
This plant has been featured as a Plant of the Month – see Trilepidea: NZPCN newsletter for November 2008 for the full story.
Etymology
raukaua: From the Maori name for R. edgerleyi, raukawa
edgerleyi: Named after John Edgerley (1814 - 1849) who spent time in New Zealand and Australia
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.
RAUEDG
Chromosome number
2n = c.24
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 | Not Threatened | Qualifiers: DP
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened | Qualifiers: CD, RF
2004 | Gradual Decline
Regional conservation statuses
Auckland: 2025 | Regionally Threatened – Regionally Vulnerable | Qualifiers: CD, DPR, DPS, DPT, INC, PF, RR, RF
The regional threat classification system leverages off the national assessments in the NZTCS, providing information relevant for the regional context. Auckland conservation status information is sourced from the “Conservation status of vascular plant species in Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland” Simpkins E et al. (2025) report.
Otago: 2025 | Regionally Not Threatened
The regional threat classification system leverages off the national assessments in the NZTCS, providing information relevant for the regional context. Otago conservation status information is sourced from the “Conservation Status of Indigenous Vascular Plants in Otago, 2025” Jarvie S et al. (2025) report.
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Mitchell, A.D, Frodin, D.G, Heads, M.J. 1997. Reinstatement of Raukaua, a genus of the Araliaceae centred on New Zealand. NZ J. Botany 305: 309-315
Wilson, H & Galloway, T. 1993. Small-leaved shrubs of NZ. Manuka Press, Christchurch
Eagle, A. 2000. Eagle’s complete trees and shrubs of NZ. Te Papa Press, Wellington
Webb, C.J. & Simpson, M.J.A. 2001. Seeds of NZ gymnosperms and dicotyledons. Manuka Press, Christchurch.
Moorfield, J. C. (2005). Te aka : Maori-English, English-Maori dictionary and index. Pearson Longman: Auckland, N.Z.
Attribution
Description by M.J. Thorsen 29 October 2010 adapted from the references cited below.