Dracophyllum subulatum

Last updated

Monoao
Dracophyllum subulatum 108135672.jpg
Dracophyllum subulatum 108126615.jpg
Flower closeup
Status NZTCS NT.svg
Not Threatened (NZ TCS)
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Ericales
Family: Ericaceae
Genus: Dracophyllum
Species:
D. subulatum
Binomial name
Dracophyllum subulatum
Hook.f., 1867 [1]
Synonyms [2]
  • Dracophyllum angustifolium (Colenso)

Dracophyllum subulatum, commonly known as monoao, [3] is a species of tree or shrub in the heath family Ericaceae. It is endemic to the central North Island of New Zealand.

Contents

It was first described by the British botanist Joseph Dalton Hooker in 1844, and in 1867 was placed by the New Zealand botanist William Colenso in the subgenus Dracophyllum .

Description

It reaches a height of 0.3–2.0 m (0.98–6.56 ft) and has waved leaves, which look like narrow grass, with many thin stalks.

In juvenile form, D. subulatum's leaves spirally arrange along the soft grey, reddish or purplish brown in juvenile, branches and they spread. The colour of mature leaves is olive to dark green. They erect for spreading. Flowering time is from November to March, it produces green or white flowers. Its inflorescence (flower spike) is tiny and has not many flowers.

It was first described by the British botanist Joseph Dalton Hooker in 1844, and in 1867 was placed by the New Zealand botanist William Colenso in the subgenus Dracophyllum .

Range

It is endemic to the North Island of New Zealand, from Rotorua to Taihape, living in low-lying areas between volcanoes, shrubland, and tussock grassland in altitudes from 100 to 1,200m. [4] [5]

Ecology

They are facilitators, protecting native species from frosts, therefore encouraging plant biodiversity. [4]

Related Research Articles

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

Dracophyllum is a genus of plants belonging to the family Ericaceae, formerly Epacridaceae. There are 61 species in the genus, mostly shrubs, but also cushion plants and trees, found in New Zealand, Australia, Lord Howe Island and New Caledonia. The name Dracophyllum, meaning dragon-leaf, refers to their strong outward similarity to the unrelated Dracaena, sometimes known as dragon tree. Although dicotyledonous, they resemble primitive monocots with their slender leaves concentrated in clumps at the ends of the branches; they are sometimes called grass-trees.

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

Oreostylidium is a genus of flowering plants in the family Stylidiaceae with a single species, Oreostylidium subulatum, that is endemic to New Zealand. O. subulatum is a very small plant with small, white flowers. It has a complicated botanical history that has led to a few proposals to move Oreostylidium to the related genus Stylidium. The researchers cite molecular data and suspect that this species is an extreme example of floral paedomorphosis. This would not be an unprecedented move since the single species was initially described as Stylidium subulatum in 1864 and later moved to its own genus by Sven Berggren in 1878. It possesses the same kind of glandular trichomes underneath the flower that make Stylidium species carnivorous plants, but it has not yet been tested for the presence of digestive enzymes.

<i>Archeria traversii</i> Species of flowering plant

Archeria traversii is a species of shrub in the family Ericaceae.

<i>Dracophyllum milliganii</i> Species of flowering plant

Dracophyllum milliganii is a species of angiosperm in the family Ericaceae and the sub-family Epacridoideae. It is a distinctive alpine shrub, endemic to Western Tasmania.

<i>Thryptomene saxicola</i> Species of flowering plant

Thryptomene saxicola, commonly known as rock thryptomene, is a species of flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a spreading shrub with small oval or egg-shaped leaves and pale pink flowers arranged in leaf axils. It is hardy plant, common in cultivation, sometimes as "Payne's hybrid" or Thryptomene paynei.

<i>Archeria racemosa</i> Species of flowering plant

Archeria racemosa is a species of shrub in the family Ericaceae.

<i>Dracophyllum longifolium</i> Species of flowering plant

Dracophyllum longifolium, commonly called inaka, is an upright shrub or small tree in the family Ericaceae that is endemic to New Zealand.

<i>Gentianella concinna</i> Species of flowering plant

Gentianella concinna is a flowering plant species, endemic to the Auckland Islands of New Zealand.

<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>Gentianella cerina</i> Species of flowering plant

Gentianella cerina is a plant species in the Gentianaceae family, endemic to the Auckland Islands 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 between 500 and 600 years.

<i>Dracophyllum ophioliticum</i> Species of shrub

Dracophyllum ophioliticum, commonly known as asbestos inaka and asbestos turpentine tree, is a species of shrub in the family Ericaceae. Endemic to New Zealand, it grows into a sprawling shrub, reaching heights of just 30–200 cm (10–80 in), and has leaves which form bunches at the end of its branches.

<i>Dracophyllum muscoides</i> Species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae

Dracophyllum muscoides, commonly known as cushion inaka, is a small cushion plant in the family Ericaceae. It is endemic to New Zealand and is found only in the South Island in sub-alpine regions.

<i>Dracophyllum scoparium</i> Species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae

Dracophyllum scoparium is a species of shrub or small tree endemic to the Chatham Islands of New Zealand. It was first described by Joseph Dalton Hooker in 1844 and gets the specific epithet scoparium, in the form of a broom, for the way in which its juvenile leaves grow. In the heath family Ericaceae, it inhabits the Chatham and Pitt Islands, and reaches a height of 1–4 m.

<i>Dracophyllum strictum</i> Species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae

Dracophyllum strictum, commonly known as totorowhiti, is a species of shrub endemic to New Zealand. It was first described by Joseph Dalton Hooker in 1844 and gets the specific epithet strictum for its rigid and packed together leaves. In the heath family Ericaceae, it inhabits lowland up to montane forest and shrubland and reaches a height of 50–300 cm.

<i>Dracophyllum menziesii</i> Species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae

Dracophyllum menziesii, commonly known as pineapple scrub, is a species of shrub endemic to the South and Stewart Islands of New Zealand. In the heath family Ericaceae, it inhabits mountain slopes and cliffs from sea level up to 1,500 m (4,921 ft) and reaches a height of 0.5–1 m (1.6–3.3 ft). A 2017 assessment using the New Zealand Threat Classification System classified it as "Not Threatened," giving it an estimated population upwards of 100,000.

<i>Dracophyllum fiordense</i> Species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae

Dracophyllum fiordense, commonly known as the Fiordland grass tree, is a species of tree or shrub in the heath family, Ericaceae. It is endemic to the South Island of New Zealand. It reaches a height of 1.5–5.0 metres and has tufts of long green leaves at the ends of its branches. Each leaf has a distinctive curled spiral tip. D. fiordense has a pyramid-shaped inflorescence hidden under each clump of leaves, with between 113 and 120 pink flowers on each spike, and later reddish-brown dry fruit; both are around just 2 by 2 mm. It inhabits shrubland, lowland and subalpine forests, and tussock grassland of mountain slopes, gullies, and ridges. Its range covers two main areas: one in Fiordland National Park, and one in the Mount Cook and Westland National Parks.

<i>Dracophyllum filifolium</i> Species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae

Dracophyllum filifolium is a species of shrub or tree endemic to the North, South, and Stewart Islands of New Zealand. It was first described by Joseph Dalton Hooker in 1853 and gets the specific epithet filifolium for its leaves being like a filament. In the heath family Ericaceae, it inhabits mountain slopes, saddles and ridges and reaches a height of 1–4 m (3–13 ft). A 2017 assessment using the New Zealand Threat Classification System classified it as “Not Threatened,” giving it an estimated population of more than 100,000.

<i>Dracophyllum densum</i> Species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae

Dracophyllum densum is a species of shrub endemic to north-west Nelson in New Zealand's South Island. It was first described by Walter Oliver in 1952 and gets the specific epithet densum for its leaves growing densely. In the heath family Ericaceae, it inhabits mountain summits, plateaux, and ridge lines and reaches a height of 0.3–0.5 m (1–2 ft). A 2017 assessment using the New Zealand Threat Classification System classified it as “Declining,” giving it an estimated population of more than 100,000.

References

  1. de Lange, P.J. "Dracophyllum subulatum Fact Sheet". New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
  2. "Dracophyllum subulatum Hook f." Plants of the World Online . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  3. "Monoao (Dracophyllum subulatum)". iNaturalist. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
  4. 1 2 Giejsztowt, J.; Classen, A. T.; Deslippe, J. R. (2020). "Climate change and invasion may synergistically affect native plant reproduction". Ecology.
  5. "Dracophyllum subulatum". New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. Archived from the original on 2021-12-23. Retrieved 2021-12-28.