Dracophyllum traversii

It was first described by

Dracophyllum traversii is a shrub or tree that grows to a height of 0.2–13 m (0.7–42.7 ft) tall, though those growing in exposed subalpine areas often do not reach 1 m (3.3 ft). Similar to D. elegantissimum, it forms a candelabra-like canopy with its branches, which have flaky light brown bark. Its leaves, which concentrate at the ends of branches like species in the family Bromeliaceae, are 9–86 by 1.7–5 cm (3.5–33.9 by 0.7–2.0 in), leathery, and very finely toothed such that there are 18 to 20 teeth every 10 mm (0.4 in).^[3] Plants which grow at the upper reaches of the tree line have a grey wax on their leaves, as well as change colour during Winter from green to a reddish-purple, as a result of anthocyanins.^[4]

It

• 
  Flowering inflorescence
• 
  The very small individual flowers
• 
  The flaky bark on the trunk
• 
  A fruited inflorescence

Taxonomy

D. traversii was first described by

D. traversii's placement within the genus Dracophyllum was first attempted by Walter Oliver in a 1928 article of the Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand. Later, in 1952, he revised his work in a supplement, placing it in the subgenus Dracophyllum (referred to as Eudracophyllum) and in a group with D. latifolium, though basing his research purely on morphological characteristics.^[11] In 2010 several botanists published an article on the genus Dracophyllum in the Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden. In it they performed a cladistic analysis and produced a phylogenetic tree of the tribe Richeeae and other species using genetic sequencing. They found that only the subgenus Oreothamnus and the tribe Richeeae were monophyletic and that there is strong genetic evidence for D. traversii's clade. The paraphyly of the genus Dracophyllum, as well as the polyphyly of the closely related genus Richea, they argued, suggested that a major taxonomic revision was required.^[12][13] In Venter's 2021 revision of the genus, he merged the genus Richea into two subgenera, named D. Subg. Cystanthe and D. Subg. Dracophylloides, of Dracophyllum. Though he noted that because the 2010 study was based on plastid sequence data and did not attain some species with strong enough evidence, the subgenera are instead based on morphological characteristics.^[4] D. traversii's current placement can be summarised in the cladogram at right.

• 
  D. traversii covered in snow on Arthur's pass, where the first type specimen was taken.
• 
  The northern form of D. traversii near Gisborne

Distribution and habitat

Dracophyllum traversii is

Nestor notabilis or the Kea feeds on the young shoots and foliage.

Dead leaves are used to suppress the growth of other plants.

The botanist Peter Haase conducted an ecological study, published in 1986, of D. traversii in Arthur's pass. Kea were found to feed on D. traversii during the winter, mainly eating the young foliage and shoot apices, which are also eaten by an unidentified larva. Scales in the genus Coelostomidia were identified laying their eggs under old bark and scars on leaves. The fruit, however, are almost not preyed upon at all, with only an estimated 0.01% eaten by larvae.^[14]

Phenology

The seeds are dispersed by wind,^[3] and although they are not specially adapted to do so, their low mass means that they can still travel a sufficient distance. Haase calculated that seeds from a height of 5 m (16 ft) and in a wind speed of 2 m/s (6.6 ft/s) would travel around 10 m (33 ft), so twice that of the height from which they were dispersed. Since each panicle contains around 2500 flowers, he estimated that each one produced 25,000 filled seeds, and a plant with a maximum of 30 of such panicles could hence produce 750,000 seeds. He also estimated that D. traversii has a lifespan of 500 – 600 years, while the juvenile stage takes between 100 and 150 years.^[14] It is deciduous, losing its leaves during the growing season, mainly from December through to March and has an average annual wood increment for adult trees of 0.4 – 0.49 mm and 0.6 – 0.9 mm for juvenile trees. Because it is deciduous the area under trees is often covered with leaf litter, in some places to 10 cm (4 in) or more deep, which prohibits the growth of other plants. Typically leaves are shed after six years and full growth takes 2 – 3 growing seasons, with each occurring from around September to April.^[14] Venter noted in his 2009 thesis that he had only observed one bird pollinating D. traversii, Anthornis melanura (the New Zealand Bellbird), which was the first time any bird had been recorded doing so.^[13] Germination of seeds is generally sporadic, Haase managed to attain an 80% success rate and time of just 18 days, though only after 6–8 weeks of moist 4˚C storage. The seeds will not germinate without light.^[14]

Cultivation

D. traversii is best propagated from seed and needs a constantly moist soil, though will likely be very slow growing and difficult to establish. It grows best in a semi-shaded area in humus; plants that are collected in the wild generally perish a few months after being planted in cultivation.^[15][3]

References

Notes

Citations