Shawia quinquevulnera
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Dicotyledons
Simplified description
Bushy shrub with zig-zagging tangled branches bearing uneven-edge dark-green leaves that are white underneath inhabiting scattered open upland areas from the Central North Island to north Canterbury. Leaves 3.2-13.4mm long, about as wide as long, small teeth on edge may have a small purple blotch. Seeds fluffy, conspicuous.
Flower colours
Cream
Detailed description
Shrub 2.2 x 2 m. branches upright to spreading, outer bark light grey to light grey-brown. Branchlets slightly to prominently flexuose, 2-3 mm diameter, light brown to cream brown, slender, terete, glabrous to sparsely hairy, diverging between 20 and 40 degrees, nodes up to 30 mm apart; brachyblasts sometimes present, up to 10 mm long. Leaves alternate, lamina 3-13.4 x 3-11.5 mm, broadly elliptic to orbicular, with cream to fulvous T-hairs; abaxial surface densely hairy; adaxialy surface dull green, often red-purple toward base, sparsely hairy to glabrate, midrib and main lateral veins prominent on both surfaces; base cuneate to obtuse; margin sometimes slightly undulate, red-purple, with 2-7 teeth that are surrounded by red-purple blotches; apex obtuse; petiole 1.7-8.5 mm, sparsely to moderately hairy or glabrate. Inflorescences corymbose, capitula 3-5 per corymb; corymb moderately to densely covered with appressed T-hairs, rachis 2.8-26 mm long, pedicels 1.1-16 mm long; bracteoles subtending each capitulum 1-2.4 x 0.3-0.8 mm, spathulate, narrowly-lanceolate to linear, apex subacute to obtuse, base cuneate, sparsely to moderately hairy on both surfaces. Involucre cylindric; bracts 13-18, 3-4-seriate, spreading at maturity; midrib and central part of both surfaces green, outer part of both surfaces red to pink-red, abaxial surface of outer bracts with hairs on midrib, abaxial surface of inner bracts glabrous; apices acute to subobtuse, tufted with hairs; margins fimbriate in distal portion; bases cuneate to attenuate; outer bracts 0.8-1.3 x 0.3-0.6 mm, broadly elliptic to shortly-lanceolate; inner bracts 3-4.2 x 0.7-1 mm, lanceolate. Florets 3-8, female florets 2-4, limb white, 4.2-4.3 x 0.7-1.3 mm, glabrous; tube 2-2.8 mm, sparsely hairy; perfect florets 1-4, corolla usually with glandular hairs near apex; lobes 5, 0.6-0.8 x 0.3-0.4 mm, narrowly triangular, deflexed at maturity, white; tube 3.4-3.6 mm, sparselyhairy. Anthers 1.7-1.8 mm long, filaments 1.4-1.7 mm, glabrous. Style of female and perfect florets 3-3.1 mm; style arms 1-1.5 mm, cream. Cypsela 2-2.3 mm, henna to red-brown, narrowly oblong, somewhat compressed and angular in section; base obtuse, ribs 5, narrow, raised, moderately covered in white antrorse eglandular hairs. Pappus 2.5-4.5 mm long, pale orange-yellow.
Similar taxa
None. The filiramulate, divaricate, flexuous branches and branchlets, and small elliptic to orbicular 2-7 toothed leaves, basally surrounded by prominent red-purple blotching are unique to this species.
Distribution
Endemic. North and South Islands but disjunct. In the North Island known from Te Urewera (Huiarau Range (Mt Maungapohatu and Mt Manuoha)), Erua, Mount Taranaki or Mount Egmont and adjacent Pouakai Range. In the South Island from several areas in North-west Nelson, and from a single site in North Canterbury (Thompson River).
Habitat
Montane to subalpine, on valley floors, on forest margins, clearings, amongst rocks, below cliffs and in subalpine scrub, often in poorly drained or permanently wet soils.
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, DPT, PF
Threats
This is a highly disjunct species which in parts of its range can be very common and at others extremely scarce. At all known sites hybrids with Shawia arborescens (= O. ×capillaris Buchanan) are present. Despite its unusual distribution the majority of the known populations appear to be thriving. The largest populations are those centred on Mt Manuoha in Te Urewera.
Detailed taxonomy
Genus
Family
Synonyms
Shawia capillaris (Buchanan) Saldivia & Nicol (= Olearia xcapillaris Buchanan), Olearia quinquevulnera Heenan
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
October - January (-February)
Fruiting
January - April (-May)
Propagation technique
Can be grown from fresh seed and cuttings but generally difficult to maintain. Seems to survive best in a permanently damp soil in a sheltered site. Dislikes humidity and drought will generally kill it. Very prone to sudden collapse in hot weather and prone to soil borne fungal diseases such as Phytophora and Verticillum wilt.
Other information
Plant of the Month
This plant has been featured as a Plant of the Month – see Trilepidea: NZPCN newsletter for February 2012 for the full story.
Etymology
quinquevulnera: With five marks
Chromosome number
2n = 108
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, PD, Sp
2012 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: DP, PD, Sp
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: CD, DP
2004 | Sparse
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Heenan, P. B. 2005: Olearia quinquevulnera (Asteraceae: Astereae), a new species name from New Zealand, and observations on its relationships in Olearia. New Zealand Journal of Botany 43: 753-766.
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 the NZPCN by P.J. de Lange 14 April 2006. Description adapted from Heenan (2005).
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Shawia quinquevulnera Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/shawia-quinquevulnera/ (Date website was queried)