Pānakenake
Botanical name: Lobelia angulata
Synonyms: Pratia angulata
Common name(s): Pānakenake, pratia, lawn lobelia
About:
Lobelia angulata is a low-growing, creeping perennial herb endemic to New Zealand and a member of the bellflower family, Campanulaceae. Formerly classified as Pratia angulata, it is one of New Zealand’s most widespread native lobelias and is recognisable by its small, rounded, toothed leaves, delicate white flowers with purple markings and reddish-purple berries. Slender stems root readily at the nodes, allowing it to form dense carpets across damp ground, forest margins and grassland. It occurs from lowland forests to subalpine environments and is a popular native groundcover.
Natural habitat:
Occurs in moist habitats from coastal and lowland environments to subalpine grasslands and herbfields at approximately 1,300 m. Common sites include stream banks, lake margins, damp forest edges, tracksides, open woodland and moist clearings.
At higher elevations it grows in subalpine grasslands, short herbfields and open, closely grazed vegetation. It favours relatively well-lit conditions and is less vigorous beneath dense forest canopies.
Growing environment:
Best in full sun or partial shade with consistently moist, reasonably fertile, well-drained soil. It tolerates periodically wet ground but suffers during prolonged drought.
Established plants can tolerate considerable frost, reportedly around −10°C under suitable conditions. Its facultative (FAC) wetland indicator status reflects its occurrence in both wetlands and non-wetlands.
Endemic distribution:
Endemic to New Zealand and widespread across the North Island, South Island and Stewart Island/Rakiura. It also occurs on offshore islands including Ulva Island, and has been recorded from the Auckland and Campbell Islands.
It has been introduced overseas and is established in parts of the British Isles, notably England and Scotland.
Height:
Usually approximately 2–10 cm, forming a low carpet. Higher-altitude plants are often smaller and more compact.
Width:
Individual plants can spread 30 cm to 1 m or more; adjoining mats may merge into continuous groundcover.
Flowering:
October–April, peaking November–March. Flowers are approximately 7–20 mm long, predominantly white with a yellowish throat and variable purple veining. The asymmetrical corolla gives a slightly lopsided appearance. Flowers and ripe fruit can occur together.
Fruiting:
Generally November–June, with peak production around April–May; fruit may persist into winter and spring. Fleshy rounded, oval or sometimes heart-shaped berries turn reddish-purple and contain numerous small orange-brown seeds.
Uses:
Native groundcover and lawn alternative for light traffic
Rock gardens, damp borders and woodland gardens
Stream and pond margins, moist banks and paving gaps
Containers and biodiversity gardens
Native revegetation and vineyard groundcover trials
Traditional Māori food plant
Appearance:
Growth habit: A low-growing evergreen perennial with slender prostrate stems that root at the nodes. Stems are green, sometimes reddish or purplish mottled.
Leaves: Alternate, usually 4–12 × 3–13 mm, broadly ovate to rounded with blunt marginal teeth. Generally green, sometimes reddish-purple along edges or mottled; usually hairless, occasionally sparsely hairy.
Flowers: Solitary on slender stalks, approximately 7–20 mm long. Mostly white with purple veins, a yellowish throat and often a purple-tipped reproductive column. The corolla is asymmetrical.
Fruit: Fleshy, rounded to oval reddish-purple berries, sometimes slightly flattened or heart-shaped, with persistent calyx lobes and numerous small seeds.
Ecology:
Pānakenake contributes to damp native ground-layer communities. Creeping stems root at nodes, and detached fragments may establish after transport by water.
Flowers attract hoverflies, tachinid flies, moths and native bees, including the hoverfly Melangyna novaezelandiae. Fruits are eaten by wētā, grasshoppers and birds. Wellington tree wētā (Hemideina crassidens) can pass viable seeds; seeds recovered from their droppings have germinated faster than those removed directly from pulp.
Leaves support native herbivorous insects, including a Scaptomyza leaf-mining fly. The species varies genetically and reproductively: some populations contain female and hermaphroditic plants, and chromosome counts of 2n = 70 and 140 have been recorded. It can hybridise with Lobelia perpusilla and produce fertile offspring.
Associated habitats
Damp forest margins, stream banks, lake shores, open woodland, wet grassland, tracksides and subalpine herbfields. Often grows among native grasses, sedges, rushes, mosses and small herbs, including Carex, Juncus and Leptinella species, where soil moisture and light are sufficient.
How to grow:
Plant in full sun to partial shade in moisture-retentive but reasonably well-drained soil. Suitable for damp borders, streamside planting, open woodland and rock or paving gaps.
Water during establishment and dry spells. Plants spread readily by rooting stems and can be trimmed or lifted to control their extent. It suits light foot traffic but not heavily used or very dry lawns. Little fertiliser is generally required.
Propagation:
Easily propagated by rooted stem sections, cuttings and seed. Separate runners with several rooted nodes and replant into moist soil. Unrooted cuttings also establish readily with consistent humidity.
Collect ripe berries, remove pulp and sow seed in a fine, moist medium. For restoration, prefer locally sourced seed-grown plants to maintain genetic diversity.
Cultural use:
Pānakenake has a documented traditional Māori food use. Among Tūhoe in Te Urewera, its small leaves were gathered, cooked and eaten as greens. Specific medicinal uses are less clearly documented and should not be assumed without reliable supporting evidence.
Garden value:
A versatile native groundcover with small attractive leaves, a long season of white flowers and colourful reddish-purple berries. It suits damp borders, woodland edges, rockeries and paving gaps, and provides resources for native insects and other small fauna.
For Nelson–Tasman gardens, it is particularly useful in moist, partially shaded areas and streamside or open woodland plantings. Locally eco-sourced plants are preferable for ecological restoration.