Melicytus ramiflorus
Melicytus ramiflorus | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Malpighiales |
Family: | Violaceae |
Genus: | Melicytus |
Species: | M. ramiflorus
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Binomial name | |
Melicytus ramiflorus J.R. & G. Forster
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Melicytus ramiflorus (māhoe or whiteywood) is a small tree of the family
It grows up to 10 metres high with a trunk up to 60 cm in diameter, it has smooth, whitish bark and brittle twigs. The dark-green "alternate" leaves are 5–15 cm long and 3–5 cm wide and their edges are finely serrated (although this feature is less pronounced in younger plants).The plants are
The berries of M. ramiflorus are eaten by a number of native birds, including
Subspecies
In former analyses, four subspecies of M. ramiflorus were recognised: subsp. ramiflorus of New Zealand, subsp. oblongifolius of Norfolk Island, subsp. fastigiata of Fiji and subsp. samoensis of Samoa and Tonga. More recent studies, especially that by Art Whistler, have indicated that all these subspecies should be regarded as species in their own right.
References
- – via Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd.
- L. Cockyane and E. Phillips Turner, 1943, The Trees of New Zealand. Government Printer.
- John Dawson and Rob Lucas, 2000, Nature Guide to the New Zealand Forest. Godwit.
- Donald R. Drake, Walter A. Whistler, Timothy J. Motley, and Clyde T. Imada, 1996, Rain Forest Vegetation of 'Eua Island, Kingdom of Tonga. New Zealand Journal of Botany, 1996, Vol. 34: 65–77.
- A.L. Poole and N.M. Adams, 1963, Trees and Shrubs of New Zealand. Government Printer.
External links
- New Zealand Plant Conservation Network, URL: Melicytus ramiflorus, retrieved 3 October 2010.