Habitat: bank, clay, cliff, dry, forest, forest edge, gap, gully, hill, lowland, margin, moist, open, pasture, riparian, roadside, rock outcrop, sand, scrubland, sheltered, shrubland, silt, slope, stone, track, unstable/eroded, wasteland

Dispersal: Seed

Distribution from the Australasian Virtual Herbarium. CC-BY 3.0 AU
Distribution from the Australasian Virtual Herbarium. CC-BY 3.0 AU
 Recognition
  • an upright, multi-stemmed, shrub usually growing 1-2 m tall that loses its leaves during winter.
  • its relatively soft stems are hollow and greenish in colour.
  • its paired leaves (5-24 cm long) have long-pointed tips and entire or toothed margins.
  • its flowers are borne in compact drooping clusters (5-10 cm long) and are surrounded by purplish leafy bracts.
  • these small tubular flowers (about 2 cm long) are white to purplish in colour.
  • its small rounded to egg-shaped berries (about 10 mm long) turn dark red to purplish-black when mature.

[From: Environmental Weeds of Australia]

 Images
Image: Trevor James © Trevor James
Image: Trevor James © Trevor James
Image: Trevor James © Trevor James
Image: Trevor James © Trevor James
Image: Trevor James © Trevor James
Image: Trevor James © Trevor James
Weeds Key – interactive key to the weed species of New Zealand
 References
Biosecurity New Zealand 2012: Regional Pest Management Strategies Database. http://www.biosecurityperformance.maf.govt.nz/
Connor, H.E. 1977: The Poisonous Plants in New Zealand. Edition 2. Government Printer, Wellington.
Howell, C. 2008: Consolidated list of environmental weeds in New Zealand. DOC Research & Development Series 292: 42.