Classification
Class
Magnoliopsida Brongn.
Order
Caryophyllales Juss. ex Bercht. & J.Presl
Family
Polygonaceae
Genus
Muehlenbeckia Meisn.
 Nomenclature
Scientific Name:
Muehlenbeckia ephedroides Hook.f., Handb. New Zealand Fl. 237 (1864)
Synonymy:
  • = Polygonum ephedroides Hook.f., Bot. Antarct. Voy. II (Fl. Nov.-Zel.) Part II, 211 (1854)
Vernacular Name(s):
Leafless muehlenbeckia; Leafless pohuehue
 Description

Much-branched prostrate to sprawling shrub, with stems up to 1 m. or more long; final branchlets ± 1 mm. diam., flexuous, striate, finely pubescent. Lvs glab. or glabrate, narrow-linear, dark to greyish green, revolute, glabrate, ascending, 5–10–(25) mm. long, rather distant at constricted nodes, sts very few or 0; ochreae 1–1·5–(2) mm. long, truncate. Infl. of few-fld fascicles or short racemes; pedicels pale, bracted, very slender, ± 1 mm. long. Fls unisexual; sexes often mingled in same fascicle or raceme, occ. with perfect fls present; if predominately ♂ then raceme us. lax; if predominately ♀ then fascicle us. dense. Tepals 3–3·5 mm. long, united ± halfway, lobes narrow-triangular, white or greenish; stigmas fimbriate. Fr. somewhat shining, black, trigonous, c. 3 × 1·5 mm., ovoid in outline, tepals becoming white and succulent, or remaining dry on same plant.

[From: Allan (1961) Flora of New Zealand. Volume 1.]

 Biostatus
Indigenous (Endemic)
 Phenology

Flowering: Nov.–Jun.; Fruiting: Nov.–Jun.

 Bibliography
de Lange, P.J.; Norton, D.A.; Courtney, S.P.; Heenan, P.B.; Barkla, J.W.; Cameron, E.K.; Hitchmough, R.; Townsend, A.J. 2009: Threatened and uncommon plants of New Zealand (2008 revision). New Zealand Journal of Botany 47: 61–96. [Declining]
de Lange, P.J.; Norton, D.A.; Heenan, P.B.; Courtney, S.P.; Molloy, B.P.J.; Ogle, C.C.; Rance, B.D. 2004: Threatened and uncommon plants of New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 42(1): 45–76.
de Lange, P.J.; Rolfe, J.R.; Barkla J.W.; Courtney, S.P.; Champion, P.D.; Perrie, L.R.; Beadel, S.N.; Ford, K.A.; Breitwieser, I.; Schönberger, I.; Hindmarsh-Walls, R.; Heenan, P.B.; Ladley, K. 2018: Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2017. New Zealand Threat Classification Series. No. 22. [Nationally Vulnerable]
de Lange, P.J.; Rolfe, J.R.; Champion, P.D.; Courtney, S.P.; Heenan, P.B.; Barkla, J.W.; Cameron, E.K.; Norton, D.A.; Hitchmough, R.A. 2013: Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2012. New Zealand Threat Classification Series 3. Department of Conservation, Wellington. [Declining]
Hooker, J.D. 1854–1855: The Botany of the Antarctic Voyage of H.M. Discovery Ships Erebus and Terror, in the years 1839–1843, under the command of Captain Sir James Clark Ross. II. Flora Novae-Zelandiae. Part II. Flowerless plants. Lovell Reeve, London.
Hooker, J.D. 1864: Handbook of the New Zealand Flora: a systematic description of the native plants of New Zealand and the Chatham, Kermadec's, Lord Auckland's, Campbell's and Macquarie's Islands. Part I. Reeve, London.