Dracophyllum densum is a species of shrub endemic to north-west Nelson in New Zealand's South Island. It was first described by Walter Oliver in 1952 and gets the specific epithet densum for its leaves growing densely. In the heath family Ericaceae, it inhabits mountain summits, plateaux, and ridge lines and reaches a height of 0.3–0.5 m (1–2 ft). A 2017 assessment using the New Zealand Threat Classification System classified it as "Declining", giving it an estimated population of more than 100,000.
Dracophyllum densum
Dracophyllum is a genus of plants belonging to the family Ericaceae, formerly Epacridaceae. There are 61 species in the genus, mostly shrubs, but also cushion plants and trees, found in New Zealand, Australia, Lord Howe Island and New Caledonia. The name Dracophyllum, meaning dragon-leaf, refers to their strong outward similarity to the unrelated Dracaena, sometimes known as dragon tree. Although dicotyledonous, they resemble primitive monocots with their slender leaves concentrated in clumps at the ends of the branches; they are sometimes called grass-trees.
Image: Dracophyllum arboreum large
Image: Dracophyllum traversii kz 06
Image: Dracophyllum milliganii 7519
Image: Dracophyllum muscoides