CONSERVATION OF THE THREATENED SHRUB HEBE CUPRESSOIDES (SCROPHULARIACEAE), EASTERN SOUTH ISLAND, NEW-ZEALAND

Hebe cupressoides is an endemic shrub of the rain-shadow eastern mount ains of New Zealand's South Island where it is a component of shrublan d communities on recent surfaces such as alluvial terraces and colluvi al slumps. While Hebe cupressoides is grown in cultivation, the range of this species in the wild has declined dramatically this century and is now known to be extant at only 15 of the 33 sites from which it ha s been recorded. Remaining populations are in general small and compri se predominantly large individuals; seedlings were only seen at three sites. Only one of the 15 remaining populations has > 100 individuals present. Germination of fresh seed is high (89-95%), but is significan tly lower for 2-month-old seed. Germination is also substantially high er for seed germinated under full light than under even light shade, a nd is very low for Seen germinated under heavy shade. We hypothesise t hat although browsing may be a factor in the decline of Hebe cupressoi des, the almost complete absence of regeneration today is primarily du e to an inability of seeds to germinate and seedlings to establish und er the heavy shade associated with the introduced grass sward that now dominates at all sites. Restoration of Hebe cupressoides populations in the wild will require control of this introduced grass sward. (C) 1 997 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.