Flora of New Zealand Series

Kermadec ngaio

Low shrub to slender tree to c. 13 m high, with rough and furrowed bark, of rather open habit. Buds usually purplish black, sometimes green, viscid. Petiole to c. 1.5 cm long, usually less on adult shoots, scarcely distinct from the attenuate lamina base. Lamina 3.5-9-(11) × 0.7-3-(4) cm (to 16 × 5 cm on juvenile shoots), usually narrowly elliptic or narrowly lanceolate-elliptic, sometimes elliptic or elliptic-obovate, membranous to semi-succulent, punctate but glands scarcely visible except in some juvenile lvs, usually serrulate, very rarely entire (serrate in some juvenile lvs); apex ± acuminate. Fls (1)-2-5; pedicels 1-1.4 cm long at anthesis. Calyx lobed to near base; lobes 2.7-3.5 mm long, narrow-triangular to narrow-lanceolate, acuminate. Corolla 1.1-1.5 cm diam., white, purple-dotted and white-bearded inside, glandular-punctate; lobes almost = tube. Style hairy. Drupe 5-8-(10) mm long, oblong to ovoid, usually mauve, occasionally white.

K.: N. Raoul Id, Herald Islets, S. Macauley Id, Haszard Islet.

Endemic.

Coastal and often forming a scrub or open forest on dry and sometimes precipitous slopes of volcanic tuff and pumice.

FL Sep-Jun.

The Kermadec populations were included without comment under M. laetum by Cheeseman (1925) and Allan (1961). This is surprising since Hooker (1867) commented on the closeness of the Kermadec plants to M. obscurum Endl. of Norfolk Id and Cheeseman had himself been to the Kermadecs and presumably saw the narrow lvs lacking obvious pellucid glands which give such a different appearance to the Kermadec ngaio. Kermadec plants were referred to M. obscurum by Sykes (1977). Occasional plants of M. laetum lack obvious glands on the lvs, but the lamina shape is different from that of Kermadec plants. The fls and frs of the 2 spp. are similar. M. obscurum of Norfolk also has lvs which lack obvious glands, but the lamina is entire or nearly so, and the corolla is larger (1.5-2 cm diam.).

There is great variation within M. kermadecense with plants in very exposed situations forming a low gnarled scrub with succulent and wider than usual lvs.