Heads, M.J.; de Lange, P. J. 1999: Parsonsia praeruptis (Apocynaceae): a new threatened, ultramafic endemic from North Cape, New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 37(1): 1–6.
Details
Heads, M.J.; de Lange, P. J. 1999: Parsonsia praeruptis (Apocynaceae): a new threatened, ultramafic endemic from North Cape, New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 37(1): 1–6.
Article
Descriptions
Low subshrub with woody stock emitting erect, stiff, unbranched leafy stems 15–30(–140) cm long, 3 mm diameter, these sometimes trailing close to the ground and rooting at nodes, not climbing or twining, smooth, pale grey-brown, finely pubescent with sparse, white, curved hairs, exudate clear and watery. Internodes 1–5 cm long. Leaves yellowish green, subcoriaceous, one pair of prophylls often presen t basally on shoots, these ± orbicular, 5 × 5 mm, subsequent leaves larger, variably shaped, oblong or ovate-triangular, but without ontogenetic heterophylly, petiole 1–2 mm long, pubescent, leaf-buttress geniculate below abscission zone, lamina (5–10–)2 0 (–29) × (5–)10(–15) mm, leaf base truncatesubcordate, apex obtuse-subacute, usually truncate, mucronate, margin entire, revolute, leaf venation not visible apart from midrib, young leaves pubescent abaxially on midrib with fewer hairs around margin and at apiculus and few scattered hairs adaxially, all hairs soon caducous. Inflorescences axillary and sometimes terminal panicles, up to 25 flowers per inflorescence, peduncle 9 mm long, pubescent, pedicel 2–3(–5) mm long, glabrous distally. Bracts 1 mm long. Flowers 5-merous, 4 mm long. Caly × lobes 1 .5–2 mm long, ovate, glabrous apart from a few marginal cilia, 2–3 adaxial colleter s opposite each lobe. Corolla white, lobes 2 – 2.2 mm long, spreading, tube 2 mm long, rose-coloured, glabrous without, ring of short retrorse hairs within corolla throat. Filaments 1 mm long, adnate to base of tube, not twisted, pubescent adaxially, anthers 2 mm long, wholly exserted beyond throat, tails narrow, obtuse. Hypogynous nectary scales triangular-oblong, free. Follicle s 50–110 × of 3–4 mm. Seeds 9 × 1 .5 mm, coma 12 mm long. FL Oct–Apr, FT Sep–Apr.
Species floribus ad P. capsularem arcte accedens sed caulibus nec volubilibus nec scandentibus, foliis ovatis basibus truncatis, calycis lobis glabris, pedunculo pedicello capsulaque brevioribus, ab ea recedens.
Identification keys
KEY TO NEW ZEALAND SPECIES OF PARSONSIA:
1
Corolla > anther cone, anthers not exserted
Corolla < anther cone, anthers exserted
2
Plant twining and climbing, heterophyllous, petiole 2–5 mm long, lamina linear (juvenile) or elliptic (adult), margin not revolute, primary venation visible below in adult leaves, base not subcordate; up to 50 flowers per inflorescence, peduncle up to 22 mm long, pedicel up to 7 mm; calyx pubescent
Plant neither twining nor climbing, sometimes decumbent, not heterophyllous, petiole 1(–2) mm long , lamina ovate-triangular, margin revolute, venation not visible, base subcordate; up to 25 flowers per inflorescence, peduncle up to 9 mm long, pedicel 2–3(–5) mm long; calyx glabrous
Reproduced with permission from New Zealand Journal of Botany and The Royal Society of New Zealand Te Apārangi.
Cited scientific names
Metadata
02cdf660-b11d-461f-b214-dcd27f3ce1f0
reference
Names_Plants