Shawia angulata
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: Sp, DPR, DPS, DPT, PF, RF
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Dicotyledons
Simplified description
Small rounded tree bearing wavy leathery pale green oblong leaves inhabiting coastal sites in northern North Island. Twigs ridged and square in cross-section. Leaves very blunt at base, 4-7cm long by 2cm wide, edge very wavy, veins sunken into upper surface. Flowers white, in clusters. Seeds fluffy.
Flower colours
White
Detailed description
Shrub or small tree up to 5 m tall. Branchlets 4-angled, grooved, clad in tightly appressed to loose somewhat resinous white hairs. Leaves 4-7 cm, hairless, resinous yellow-green to dark green above, clad in firmly appressed, white to silvery-white hairs beneath, very leathery, oblong (rarely ovate-oblong), margins very strongly undulate. Inflorescences on stout stalks 3-5 cm long, capitula (flower heads) numerous, compact, each 4-5 mm long, with 2-5 florets (flowers) only. Cypsela (seed) surmounted by yellowish, very coarse, pappus (whorl of hairs making up the “parachute” above the seed).
Similar taxa
A distinct, though somewhat cryptic species, often confused with O. albida but distinguished by its much smaller stature, typical oblong leaves whose margins always strongly undulate (in shade or sun), usually resinous yellow-green foliage (though dark green colour variants occur throughout the species range), smaller, compact inflorescences, with shorter, fewer-flowered capitula, by the coarser pappus hairs, and by the chromosome number (2n = c. 432 in O. angulata, 2n = c. 324 in O. albida).
Distribution
Endemic. Known with certainty from Te Paki, and in scattered sites along the western North Island coastline to near Mokau. At times it can be locally common - such as along the southern Kawhia Harbour. But it is more usually uncommon, often represented at any one site by only a handful of trees. Outside Te Paki there seem to be no genuine eastern North Island occurrences.
Habitat
A coastal tree of rocky headlands, cliff faces, ultramafic shrublands and dune forests. Usually found in the most exposed situations.
Threats
Olearia angulata is probably not threatened. However, it is not well known, easily confused with the more widespread O. albida, and so there are few recent accurate herbarium and site records.
Detailed taxonomy
Genus
Family
Synonyms
Olearia angulata Kirk, Olearia albida var. angulata (Kirk) Allan
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
January to May
Fruiting
March to July
Propagation technique
Easily grown from semi-hardwood cuttings, and from fresh seed.
Other information
Cultivation
Commonly sold by most retail nurseries, often as Olearia albida var. angulata
Etymology
angulata: From the Latin angulatus ‘cornered or angular’
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.
OLEANL
Chromosome number
2n = c.432
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 – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: DP, Sp
2012 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: Sp
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon
2004 | Data Deficient
Regional conservation statuses
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
Allan, H.H. 1961: Flora of New Zealand. Vol. I. Government Printer, Wellington.
Saldivia, P.; Nicol, D.A. 2025: Reinstatement, broader circumscription, and infrageneric classification of Shawia (Astereae, Celmisiinae), a large woody genus endemic to Australasia. Phytoneuron 49: 1–43.
Attribution
Fact Sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange 1 August 2003. Description modified from Allan (1961)
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.
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Shawia angulata Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/shawia-angulata/ (Date website was queried)