Raukaua simplex
Common names
haumakoroa
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Dicotyledons
Simplified description
Small tree with different adult (single) and juvenile (trifoliate) toothed leaves on long red stalks and flattened fruit in small clusters
Flower colours
Green
Detailed description
Monoecious. Small much branched tree to 8 m tall; all parts glabrous; bark whiteish grey,branchlets non-fleshy. Leaves alternate; stipules absent. Seedling leaves unifoliate, becoming 3-5-foliate in juvenile stage and then 1–3-foliate in adult. Juvenile leaves sessile or subsessile, 4–15 cm long, narrowly oblong to elliptic, deeply lobed to pinnatifid, lobes acute to obtuse; petioles to 10 cm long. Later juvenile leaves shorter, 5–8 cm long, elliptic to obovate-oblong to lanceolate, acute or obtuse, margins sharply to bluntly serrate, petioles to 6 cm long. Adult leaves usually unifoliate, but trifoliate leaves common, 5–10 × 1.5–4 cm, coriaceous, dark green above, paler below, variously shaped from lanceolate to obovate-oblong, sharply serrate, tip acuminate to acute to obtuse, veins obvious, raised; petiole 3–8 cm long, reddish, non-clasping, terminating in small node in unifoliate leaves. Inflorescence axillary, a compound raceme. Umbellule 5–15 flowered; rays short. Flowers small, green; calyx minutely 5-toothed; ovary 2-loculed, each with 1 ovule; style branches 2, free at tips, stronly curved, connate; stamens 5, projecting.
Similar taxa
Vegetatively similar to some other Pseudopanax species and Raukaua edgerleyi. The unifoliate leaves with a small node at the distal end of the petiole is distinctive, but trioliate specimens can be difficult to distinguish from other species unless flowering or fruiting. The sharply lobed juvenile leaves are distinctive except from Raukaua edgeleyi and Schefflera digitata. R. edgerleyi can be distinguished from R. simplex by its aromatic crushed leaves.
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: North Island (from Te Moehau (Coromandel) south), South Island, Stewart Island/Rakiura, Auckland Islands.
Habitat
Lowland to montane forest and also shrubland at tree line. Near seal level to 1400 m a.s.l.
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 | Not Threatened
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Synonyms
Pseudopanax simplex (G.Forst.) Philipson; Panax simplex G.Forst.; Nothopanax simplex (G.Forst.) Seem; Neopanax simplex (G.Forst) Allan
Taxonomic notes
Frodin & Govaerts (2004) transferred the Chilean species Pseudopanax laetevirens (Miq.) Ball and Tasmanian P. gunnii (Hook.f.) K.Koch to Raukaua.
Raukaua simplex var. sinclairii (Hook.f.) A.D.Mitchell, D.Frodin et M.Heads is the name given to specimens in the North Island that retain trifoliate leaves as an adult. The distinctiveness of this variety needs further consideration.
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
(June)–October–March
Fruiting
(June)–October–March
Wetland plant indicator status rating
Information derived from the revised national wetland plant list prepared to assist councils in delineating and monitoring wetlands (Clarkson et al., 2021 Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research Contract Report LC3975 for Hawke’s Bay Regional Council). The national plant list categorises plants by the extent to which they are found in wetlands and not ‘drylands’. The indicator status ratings are OBL (obligate wetland), FACW (facultative wetland), FAC (facultative), FACU (facultative upland), and UPL (obligate upland). If you have suggestions for the Wetland Indicator Status Rating, please contact: [Enable JavaScript to view protected content]
UPL: Obligate Upland
Rarely is a hydrophyte, almost always in uplands (non-wetlands).
Other information
Cultivation
Occasionally available from specialist native plant nurseries.
Etymology
raukaua: From the Maori name for R. edgerleyi, raukawa
simplex: Simple, not compound
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.
RAUSIM
Chromosome number
2n = 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
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Regional conservation statuses
Otago: 2024 | 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 “Regional conservation status of indigenous vascular plants in Otago” Jarvie S et al. (2024) report.
Auckland: 2025 | Regionally Data Deficient
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.
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
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. 2004. World Checklist and Bibliography of Araliaceae. Kew Publishing, London, UK. 456 p.
Mitchell AD, Frodin DG, Heads MJ. 1997. Reinstatement of Raukaua, a genus of the Araliaceae centred on New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 35(3): 309–315. https://doi.org/10.1080/0028825X.1997.10410156.
Moorfield JC. 2005. Te Aka : Māori-English, English-Māori dictionary and index. Longman/Pearson Education, Auckland, NZ. 357 p.
Webb CJ, Simpson MJA. 2001. Seeds of New Zealand Gymnosperms and Dicotyledons. Manuka Press, Christchurch. 428 p.
Attribution
Description adapted from Eagle (2006), Mitchell (2005), Mitchell et al (1997), and Webb and Simpson (2001).