Coprosma perpusilla

Location & distribution maps

Phylogeny & links to associated information:

Wikipedia links:       Angiosperms  > Eudicots > Asterids >  Lamiids > Gentianales > Rubiaceae > Coprosma  perpusilla

Other links:     

Plant  information

Common name:                Creeping Coprosma  

Conservation status:  ...

Etymology:   

• The specific epithet comes from the Latin per (very) and pusillus (very small), referring to the growth habit

Flowers:                  

• The sessile flowers occur in summer on erect branchlets

• They range in colour from greenish white to orange-yellow with red flecks

Fruit:                         

• The fruit is an ovoid drupe 4–6 mm long and yellow-orange to orange-red in colour

Leaves:         

• The small lanceolate to ovate leaves are 4.5–7 mm long and 2–3.5 mm wide, crowded on short shoots

Stem & branches: 

•  Mat-forming stems 300–400 mm long

• Glabrous

Roots:         

•  Rooting at the nodes of stems

Habit:        

• A prostrate subshrub 

Habitat:   

• It grows in various habitats in alpine and subalpine regions 

Distribution:                  

• It is found in Australia, New Zealand and on some subantarctic islands

• It is native to the states of NSW, Victoria and Tasmania, and to the subantarctic islands of Macquarie, Campbell, the Aucklands and the Antipodes

• On Macquarie Island it has been adversely affected by rabbit grazing

Additional notes:     

• Taxonomy

  • When the Coprosma pumila complex was revised by Orchard in 1986

  • He resurrected C. perpusilla Colenso from synonymy with C. pumila, recognising two subspecies

    •  the nominate for the plants of New Zealand and Australia

    • with C. perpusilla ssp. subantarctica erected for the plants on the subantarctic islands

Sources of information:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coprosma_perpusilla (2023)