''Exocarpos bidwillii'' is a small, sprawling, leafless shrub endemic to

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

and is a member of the family

Santalaceae The Santalaceae, sandalwoods, are a widely distributed family of flowering plants (including small trees, shrubs, perennial plants, perennial herbs, and epiphyte, epiphytic climbersHewson & George t al.'Santalaceae'' taxonomy, 1984, pp. 191-1 ...

, most of which are regarded as root hemiparasites. In this instance there is a body of opinion that ''Exocarpos bidwillii'' may not be parasitic.

Distribution and habitat

It is found mainly in montane to subalpine open areas, mostly in rocky places of the

South Island The South Island ( , 'the waters of Pounamu, Greenstone') is the largest of the three major islands of New Zealand by surface area, the others being the smaller but more populous North Island and Stewart Island. It is bordered to the north by ...

, from latitudes 41° to 45° 30' (corrected from H.H. Allan's mid-ocean figure of 48° 30').

Etymology and taxonomy

The species name is after

John Carne Bidwill John Carne Bidwill (5 February 1815 – 16 March 1853) was an English botanist who documented plant life in New Zealand and Australia. He is attributed with the discovery of several Australian plant species. Life in England Bidwill wa ...

. ''Exocarpos bidwillii'' is in the

family. The name of the species was given by

Joseph Hooker Joseph Hooker (November 13, 1814 – October 31, 1879) was an American Civil War general for the Union, chiefly remembered for his decisive defeat by Confederate General Robert E. Lee at the Battle of Chancellorsville in 1863. Hooker had serv ...

Phenology

According to Allan 1961 ''Exocarpos bidwillii'' flowering occurs January to February, and fruiting January to April.

iNaturalist iNaturalist is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit social network of naturalists, citizen scientists, and biologists built on the concept of mapping and sharing observations of biodiversity across the globe. iNaturalist may be accessed via its web ...

observations indicate that the peak month for flowering is September and for fruiting is December and January. Recent extensive field observations in three sites in the Nelson Mineral Belt with macro photography have provided clear identification of reproductive anatomy at each phenological stage.

Gallery

File:EXOBID mature fruit 1.jpg, Fruit of ''E. bidwillii'' File:Exocarpos bidwillii - Duncan Cunningham - 456826447.jpeg, Early stage seedling with cotyledons and emerging stem. File:F0010025 Fem fl 2m.jpg, Female flowers, ca. 2.00mm across. Peak flowering mid August to mid October. File:Exocarpos Bidwillii setting.jpg, Typical habitat on Mt. Isobel,

Hanmer Springs Hanmer Springs is a small town in the Canterbury region of the South Island of New Zealand, known for its hot pools. The Māori name for Hanmer Springs is Te Whakatakanga o te Ngārahu o te ahi a Tamatea, which means "where the ashes of Tamate ...

File:Exocarpos bidwillii - Duncan Cunningham - 353109027.jpeg, ''Exocarpos bidwillii'' with seedlings. Wairau Valley, NZ. File:Exocarpos bidwillii - Duncan Cunningham - 345491608.jpeg, ''Exocarpos bidwillii'' with immature fruit. Cobb Ridge, NZ.

References

Santalaceae Flora of New Zealand Taxa named by Joseph Dalton Hooker {{NewZealand-plant-stub