Pseudopanax linearis

Pseudopanax linearis, also known as mountain lancewood, is a species of heteroblastic shrub or small tree from the family Araliaceae, endemic to the South Island of New Zealand. Within the South Island, it is found in subalpine scrub and high-altitude forest environments relatively west of the Southern Alps.

This species typically grows to be 3 metres (9.8 feet) tall and appears with long, narrow, and slightly serrated green or brown leaves. Juvenile leaves are longer than adult leaves and have a more prominent serrated margin. In summer, the adult plant produces small yellow-green flowers, which are followed by small purple fruit.

It is known to have interactions like pollination and predation with birds, insects, and mammals.

Pseudopanax linearis is closely related and morphologically similar to two other lancewood species, Pseudopanax crassifolius and Pseudopanax ferox, but is physically distinct in that it is smaller in size, leaves are shorter in all growth stages, and juvenile leaves extend horizontally or upwards from the stem rather than downwards. The transition between a juvenile and adult growth form is also much less notable in P. linearis than in the other lancewoods as well.