Carmichaelia juncea

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Carmichaelia juncea
Status NZTCS NV.svg
Nationally Vulnerable (NZ TCS)
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Faboideae
Genus: Carmichaelia
Species:
C. juncea
Binomial name
Carmichaelia juncea
Carmichaelia junceaDistNZ.png
Occurrence data from AVH

Carmichaelia juncea, the braided riverbed broom, is a species of New Zealand broom, a prostrate shrub in the family Fabaceae that is endemic to New Zealand. [1] It is extinct over much of its former range, including the North Island. [2]

Contents

Discovery

Carmichaelia juncea was first identified botanically by the British explorer and botanist Sir Joseph Hooker. In 1839 he joined the Antarctic expedition led by Sir James Ross as assistant surgeon and naturalist on board the Erebus. During the southern winter of 1841 he spent three months based in the Bay of Islands collecting plants. [3] Once he had returned to England he corresponded with many New Zealand plant collectors, encouraging them, sending news and advice and in return receiving specimens to add to his collection. His first book on New Zealand plants Flora Novae-Zelandiae was published in 1853. [4]

Originally several species similar to Carmichaelia juncea were described. One of these species was found growing on lake shores along the east coast of the South Island. By 1993 (along with most other members of this group) it had not been seen or collected in over 50 years and was presumed extinct. Amazingly that year it was "re-discovered" growing in a rock garden at the Edinburgh Botanical Gardens. [5] In 1995 this small group of Carmichaelia species were all combined as one species, C. juncea. [5] The epithet juncea means 'rush-like' in Greek. [5]

Description

Carmichaelia juncea is a low growing prostrate shrub that forms a sprawling mat (20 cm (7.9 in) high and up to 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) wide), looking very like a clump of dying rushes. The switch-like branchlets are light green to light brown, with very few leaves. The flowers are small and white with purple highlights. The seed pods are short and black, the seeds probably wind distributed. [5] [6] C. juncea flowers between October and January and fruits between November and March. [2]

Habitat and ecology

New Zealand has 23 Carmichaelia species and 14 are listed as threatened or at risk. [7] C. juncea is generally found in rocky areas where there is little competition from other plants; along open river flats, on sandy or stony lake shores and also on exposed rocky outcrops along the coast. Surviving in these tough conditions makes it an excellent plant for rock gardens or for growing in containers. C. juncea was once widespread over both the North and South Island but was probably never very common because of its specific habitat requirements. It is now considered extinct in the North Island while in the South Island it is only found in two areas; Puponga in North-West Nelson and in a few locations in South Westland from Franz Josef to Haast. [6] Like many New Zealand natives the survival of C. juncea is threatened by introduced mammals. At Franz Josef heavy browsing by hares has almost completely prevented seed production in mature plants. [7] It is also under threat from habitat loss; in particular the modification of braided rivers and because of its prostrate habit, introduced weeds.

Carmichaelia juncea is most closely related to C. compacta and C. curta although it is easily distinguishable by its prostrate habit. [2]

Related Research Articles

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Sophora is a genus of about 45 species of small trees and shrubs in the pea family Fabaceae. The species have a pantropical distribution. The generic name is derived from sophera, an Arabic name for a pea-flowered tree.

<i>Viminaria</i> Genus of plants

Viminaria juncea is the single species in the genus Viminaria endemic to Australia. The genus is in the pea family Fabaceae. It is colloquially known as native broom after its resemblance to the related European broom plants. The Noongar peoples know the plant as koweda.

<i>Carmichaelia</i> Genus of legumes

Carmichaelia is a genus of 24 plant species belonging to Fabaceae, the legume family. All but one species are native to New Zealand; the exception, Carmichaelia exsul, is native to Lord Howe Island and presumably dispersed there from New Zealand.

<i>Clianthus puniceus</i> Species of legume

Clianthus puniceus, common name kaka beak, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Clianthus of the legume family Fabaceae, native to New Zealand's North Island.

<i>Grevillea juniperina</i> Plant in family Proteaceae native in Australia

Grevillea juniperina, commonly known as juniper- or juniper-leaf grevillea or prickly spider-flower, is a plant of the family Proteaceae native to eastern New South Wales and southeastern Queensland in Australia. Scottish botanist Robert Brown described the species in 1810, and seven subspecies are recognised. One subspecies, G. j. juniperina, is restricted to Western Sydney and environs and is threatened by loss of habitat and housing development.

<i>Damnamenia</i> Genus of flowering plants

Damnamenia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae.

<i>Pittosporum kirkii</i> Species of shrub

Pittosporum kirkii is a glabrous evergreen perennial shrub that reaches up to 5 metres (16 ft) in height and possesses distinctive coriaceous, fleshy, thick leaves. It is one of four shrubs endemic to New Zealand that frequently displays an epiphytic lifestyle. P. kirkii is commonly epiphytic, perched amongst nest epiphytes in the canopies of emergent or canopy trees in old-growth forest; however, it can be observed occasionally growing on the ground or over rocks. Kirk first observed P. kirkii on Great Barrier Island. It was described by Joseph Dalton Hooker from material collected by Thomas Kirk, possibly from the Thames Goldfields, and published in 1869. The initial brief description titled Pittosporum n. sp.? by Thomas Kirk was published in his paper on Great Barrier Island in 1868. This description along with herbarium specimens were sent to Dr. J. D Hooker at Kew Gardens in 1868, and he collaborated to name it after T. Kirk, by giving it the specific epithet kirkii within the publication that was otherwise written by Kirk.

<i>Carmichaelia stevensonii</i> Species of legume

Carmichaelia stevensonii, the cord broom or weeping broom, is a species of plant in the family Fabaceae. It is found only in the north east of the South Island of New Zealand. It is threatened by habitat loss.

<i>Carmichaelia muritai</i> Species of legume

Carmichaelia muritai, common name coastal tree broom, is a species of plant in the family Fabaceae. It is found only in the South Island of New Zealand.

<i>Carmichaelia exsul</i> Species of legume

Carmichaelia exsul is a flowering plant in the legume family. It is the only species of the genus Carmichaelia found in Australia. The specific epithet means an exile, with reference to it being the only species in its genus native outside New Zealand.

<i>Fuchsia procumbens</i> Species of flowering plant

Fuchsia procumbens is a prostrate shrub that is endemic to coastal areas of the North Island of New Zealand. Common names include creeping fuchsia, climbing fuchsia or trailing fuchsia.

<i>Carmichaelia petriei</i> Species of legume

Carmichaelia petriei is a species of New Zealand broom in the genus Carmichaelia. It is endemic to New Zealand. C. petrieis is possibly a host plant for the critically endangered fungus weevil Cerius otagensis.

<i>Dysphania pusilla</i> Species of flowering plant

Dysphania pusilla, formerly Chenopodium pusillum, otherwise known as pygmy goosefoot or parahia in Māori, is a prostrate herb endemic to the north-eastern parts of South Island, New Zealand. Presumed extinct after 56 years without recorded observations, the species was rediscovered in 2015.

<i>Dracophyllum arboreum</i> Species of tree in the heath family from the Chatham Islands

Dracophyllum arboreum, commonly known as Chatham Island grass tree and tarahinau (Moriori), is a species of tree in the heath family Ericaceae. Endemic to the Chatham Islands of New Zealand, it reaches a height of 18 m (60 ft) and has leaves that differ between the juvenile and adult forms.

<i>Carmichaelia appressa</i> Species of legume

Carmichaelia appressa is a species of pea in the family Fabaceae. It is found only in the South Island of New Zealand. Its conservation status (2018) is "At Risk - Naturally Uncommon" under the New Zealand Threat Classification System.

<i>Carmichaelia australis</i> Species of legume

Carmichaelia australis, or common broom, is a species of pea in the family Fabaceae. It is native to New Zealand and found in both the North and South Islands. Its conservation status (2018) is "Not Threatened" under the New Zealand Threat Classification System.

<i>Carmichaelia hollowayi</i> Species of legume

Carmichaelia hollowayi is a species of plant in the family Fabaceae. It is found only in the South Island of New Zealand. Its conservation status (2018) is "Nationally Critical" under the New Zealand Threat Classification System.

<i>Carmichaelia nana</i> Species of legume

Carmichaelia nana is a species of plant in the family Fabaceae. It is found in both the North and South Islands of New Zealand. Its conservation status in 2013 was assessed as "At Risk (declinining)" under the New Zealand Threat Classification System, but in 2018 its risk under the same system became "Threatened-Nationally Vulnerable".

<i>Carmichaelia corrugata</i> Species of legume

Carmichaelia corrugata is a species of plant in the family Fabaceae. It is found only on the South Island of New Zealand.

<i>Dracophyllum traversii</i> Species of tree (mountain neinei)

Dracophyllum traversii, commonly known as mountain neinei, grass tree, and pineapple tree is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae. It is a deciduous tree endemic to New Zealand. It reaches a height of 0.2–13 m (0.66–42.65 ft) and has leaves which form tufts at the end of its branches. It has a lifespan of between 500 and 600 years.

References

  1. "Braided riverbeds". Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 de Lange, P.J. "Carmichaelia juncea". New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  3. "Story: Hooker, Joseph Dalton". Te Ara: The encyclopedia of New Zealand.
  4. Galloway, DJ (1998). "Joseph Hooker, Charles Knight, and the commissioning of New Zealand's first popular flora: Hooker's handbook of the New Zealand flora (1864-1867)" (PDF). Tuhinga: Records of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. 10: 31–62.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Norton, DA; de Lange,PJ; Miller, CJ (June 1998). "Carmichaelia juncea - a little known plant on the brink of extinction" (PDF). NZ Botanical Society Newsletter. 52: 11–13.
  6. 1 2 Dawson, Murray (June 2016). "New Zealand's native brooms: Overlooked treasures?". New Zealand Garden Journal. 19 (1): 6–13.
  7. 1 2 de Lange, P.J.; Norton, D. A.; Heenan, P. B.; Courtney, S. P.; Molloy, B. P. J.; Ogle, C. C.; Rance, B. D.; Johnson, P. N.; Hitchmough, R. (March 2004). "Threatened and uncommon plants of New Zealand". New Zealand Journal of Botany. 42 (1): 45–76. doi: 10.1080/0028825X.2004.9512890 . hdl: 10092/415 . ISSN   0028-825X.