Muehlenbeckia astonii

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Muehlenbeckia astonii
Shrubby tororaro at Hackfalls Arboretum, Tiniroto, New Zealand
Conservation status

Nationally Endangered (NZ TCS)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Core eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Polygonaceae
Genus: Muehlenbeckia
Species: M. astonii
Binomial name
Muehlenbeckia astonii
Petrie

Muehlenbeckia astonii (Shrubby tororaro, Wiggy-wig bush) is an ornamental plant in the Polygonaceae family. It is an endemic New Zealand shrub. It is a curious plant and very distinct from any other native New Zealand species. It is leafless in winter. It has a great number of fine reddish brown to reddish orange branches that zigzag with one another to form a dense ball, up to 2–3 metres (6 ft 7 in–9 ft 10 in). round. It has very small heart-shaped leaves (only a few millimetres) that grow in clusters of 2 or 3, or alternate along the longer branchlets.

Flowers are tiny and grow in clusters of 2 to 4, less than 1 centimetre (0.39 in) diameter, greenish to white or pinkish white. Fruit about 3–4 millimetres (0.12–0.16 in) in diameter, dark, three-angled nut, surrounded by the remnants of the flower.

M. astonii is found only at the southern tip of the North Island (Palliser Bay) and on the eastern side of the South Island from northern Marlborough to Birdlings Flat at the south-west edge of Banks Peninsula. It occurs on the coast and on lowlands, especially terraced riverbeds.

The English or Māori names are seldom used.

Its unusual form makes it an interesting garden plant, as a shelter plant in exposed situations or as an informal hedge. It needs dry conditions. It can easily be pruned to shape.

It is propagated by cuttings and seed.

Literature / sources

  • Eadie, Fiona - 100 Best New Zealand Native Plants for Gardens. Random House, Auckland 2001. ISBN 1-86962-069-0
  • Metcalf, L.J. - New Zealand Trees & Shrubs. A Comprehensive Guide to Cultivation and Identification. Reed Publishers, Auckland 1972 - 2000. ISBN 0-7900-0662-6
  • Wilson, Hugh & Tim Galloway - Small-leaved Shrubs of New Zealand. Manuka Press, Christchurch 1993. ISBN 0-473-01851-9
Muehlenbeckia astonii, branches and leaves

External links

Media related to Muehlenbeckia astonii at Wikimedia Commons

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