Sophora prostrata
Common names
kōwhai, prostrate kōwhai
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Dicotyledons
Simplified description
A small dense kowhai tree to 2m tall with zig-zagging branches bearing leaves to 25mm long that have leaflets 4mm long and with drooping orange-yellow flowers and dry ridged and knobbly pointed seed pods to 5cm long containing hard brown seeds. Juveniles and adults similar. Inhabiting the eastern South Island.
Flower colours
Orange, Yellow
Distribution
Endemic. Confined to the eastern South Island from Marlborough to the Waitaki Valley
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: DPT, RF
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Synonyms
Sophora tetraptera var. prostrata (Buchanan) Kirk; Edwardsia prostrata (Buchanan) W.R.B.Oliv.; Sophora microphylla subsp. microphylla var. prostrata (Buchanan) Yakovlev
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Other information
Etymology
sophora: After the Arabic name for a similar tree
prostrata: Prostrate
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.
SOPPRO
Chromosome number
2n = 18
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
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.
Otago: 2024 | Regionally Extirpated
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Anonymous. 1944. Kowhai. Wellington Botanical Society Bulletin, 9: 4-5