Kingdom: Plantae
(Unranked): Angiosperms
(Unranked): Eudicots
(Unranked): Rosids
Order: Cucurbitales
Family: Coriariaceae
Genus: Coriaria
Species: C. pteridoides
Binominal name: Coriaria pteridoides
Synonyms: Coriaria lurida var. acuminate, Coriaria lurida complex sensu.
Common name: Mountain tutu, Small-leaved tutu
This plant is poisonous
Visit Phil Bendle Collection:Poisonous Plants in New Zealand
Coriaria pteridoides is a low growing deciduous shrub which grows up to 60cm high. It has square-shaped, slender, branchlets that are covered in short, soft hairs.
Its has fern-like looking leaves which are narrow and pointed 10-25mm x 1-4mm long.
Small flowers occur on long (5cm) unbranched flower stalks singly or 2-3 together, flowering from September to January, these are followed by succulent, segmented berries which turn black as they ripen [poisonous]. The bark is dark brown.
Coriaria pteridoides grows in subalpine, shrub and grassland regions of the North Island from the central volcanic Plateau to Mt Taranaki were it is found in montane to alpine scrub and shrubland on Mt Taranaki/Egmont.
Coriaria pteridoides growing roadside.North Mt. Egmont/Taranaki
The underside of the leaves.
The plant in the photos below was photographed at Otari-Wilton's Bush Reserve, Wellington, November
Thanks to Wikipedia for text and information: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
