Fuchsia procumbens is a prostrate shrub that is endemic to coastal areas of the North Island of New Zealand. Common names include creeping fuchsia, climbing fuchsia or trailing fuchsia.
Description
Vegetative characteristics Its stems are slender, creeping, and weakly woody. They can climb heights of close to 1 m on small shrubs.Godley, E. J., & Berry, P. E. (1995). "The biology and systematics of Fuchsia in the South Pacific." Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden, 473-516. The circular, 7–12 mm big leaves, which are attached singly to the stem, have dentate leaf margins, as well as trichomes on the surface.Fuchsia procumbens - The University of Auckland. (n.d.). Retrieved April 5, 2023, from https://www.nzplants.auckland.ac.nz/en/about/seed-plants-flowering/onagraceae/fuchsia-procumbens.html Generative characteristics The erect, radially symmetrical flowers with a yellow floral tube do not have any petals. Instead, it has four sepals, which display orange and green coloration. This contrasts with the blue pollen, which is a distinctive character of the Pacific Fuchsia clade. The pollen is produced in eight stamens.
Cytology The diploid chromosome count is 2n = 22.Fuchsia procumbens R. Cunn. ex A. Cunn. (n.d.). Tropicos.org. Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved April 2, 2023, from http://legacy.tropicos.org/Name/23202018?tab=chromosomecounts
Reproduction Fuchsia procumbens is trioecious (i.e. subdioecious). Hermaphrodite, male, and female plants occur. Both male and female plants have two different types, which differ in the length of the style.Godley, E. J. (1955). "Breeding Systems in New Zealand Plants: I. Fuchsia." Annals of botany, 19(4), 549-559. Unisexual populations are thought to be able to persevere due to the vegetative reproduction by rooting along the creeping stems.
Taxonomy It was published by Richard Cunningham in 1839. In the year 1995, Fuchsia procumbens was placed in the monotypic section Fuchsia sect. Procumbentes due to significant differences from the remaining Pacific Fuchsia clade. Synonym status of Fuchsia kirkii The species Fuchsia kirkii was described by Joseph Hooker in 1871 based on the male form of Fuchsia procumbens. Thereafter he recognized sexual dimorphism as the source of the perceived differences between the species. Etymology The specific epithet procumbens refers to the sprawling growth habit of the plant. Phylogeny It belongs to a South Pacific lineage that diverged from all other Fuchsia species around 30 million years ago. Fuchsia procumbens diverged from the other New Zealand (and Tahitian) species around 18 million years ago. The following relationships were reported:
Ecology Pollination Little is known about seed dispersal and pollination in Fuchsia procumbens. However, there have been speculations on pollination and seed dispersal through lizards,Whitaker, A. H. (1987). "The roles of lizards in New Zealand plant reproductive strategies." New Zealand journal of botany, 25(2), 315-328. as well as reports on seed dispersal through invertebrates.Fuchsia procumbens. (n.d.). Auckland Botanic Gardens. Retrieved April 5, 2023, from https://www.aucklandbotanicgardens.co.nz/plants-for-auckland/plants/fuchsia-procumbens/De Lange, P. J. (2023). Fuchsia procumbens. New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. Retrieved April 5, 2023, from https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/fuchsia-procumbens/ Habitat Small populations occur in coastal areas of New Zealand's northern island. It grows in sand in proximity to the tide lines.Mosyakin, S. L., de Lange, P., Antonenko, S. L., & Klimovych, N. B. (2020). "Types and other historical specimens of Allan and Richard Cunningham's taxa of Epilobium and Fuchsia (Onagraceae) from New Zealand in the Turczaninow Herbarium at the National Herbarium of Ukraine (KW)."
Conservation It has been categorized as "At risk – naturally uncommon" by the Threatened and uncommon plants of New Zealand list of 2009.Young, M. (2009). "Botany of some of the islands in the eastern Bay of Islands, Northern New Zealand: an update." Auckland Botanical Society Journal, 64, 88-97.
Uses Fruit The small, red, crunchy fruit is edible, although rarely eaten. It has been described as slimy and bland. Horticulture It is commonly cultivated in gardens.
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