|
 Alpine
Plants
of New Zealand
Pentachondra
pumila
Family
EPACRIDACEAE
 Reproduced
from
Alpine Plants of New Zealand
ISBN 0 7900 0525 5
by kind permission of the author, Lawrie Metcalf and Reed Publishing
(NZ) Ltd
Publication or other use of images or descriptive
text on these pages is unauthorised unless written permission is
obtained from the author and publisher. Appropriate acknowledgement
of the publication Alpine Plants of New Zealand must always
be given.
Description
- A dwarf, much-branched,
creeping shrub which forms dense patches or low hummocks of deep-
or bluish-green foliage. The patches are usually 2-4 cm thick
and vary from 30-40 cm or more across.
- Leaves: Small
and hard, 3-5 mm by 1-2 mm, deep green above and slightly paler
beneath.
- Flowers:
Small, whitish, honey-scented, borne singly near the tips of the
branchlets; similar to those of Cyathodes colensoi.
- Fruits: Bright
red, berry-like, 5-6 mm in diameter, hollow inside and with five
or more small nutlets.
Distribution
& Habitat
- North, South and Stewart
Islands in subalpine to low-alpine areas from the Coromandel Peninsula
southwards. Very common in the South and Stewart Islands, but
rare north of East Cape in the North Island. 600-1500 metres.
- Occurs in cushion
bogs, open snow tussock grasslands, herb-fields and herb moor.
Frequently grows
in exposed or rocky sites or in poorly drained peaty areas.
Notes
- Fruits: The
fruits take two seasons to ripen, being quite small and green
by autumn and maturing during the following summer.
- Identification:
The hollow fruits distinguish this species from other plants of
a similar appearance.
- Flowering:
Between November and January, but occasional flowers may be seen
at other times
Web-notes:
Alpine Garden Links
On
this site
Reproduced from Alpine Plants
of New Zealand:
Also see the article
by Raymond Mole on:
New Zealand Alpine Plants: A Challenge for
Growers
 External
Links
New
Zealand Alpine Garden Society
More
Plant Profiles
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