Species:
	Clianthus maximus
Common Name(s):
	Kakabeak, Kowhai Ngutu-Kaka, Kaka Beak
Threat Status:
	Nationally Critical
Status 2004:
	Nationally Endangered
Authority:
	Clianthus maximus Colenso
Qualifiers:
	RF, CD
Family:
	Fabaceae
Flora Category:
	Vascular - Native
Synonyms:
	Clianthus puniceus var. maximus (Colenso) Kirk
Distribution:
	Endemic. North Island. Formerly on Great Barrier Island. Still present in scattered populations from the East Coast of the North Island from Te Araroa south to the northern Hawkes Bay and east to the Te Urewera National Park.
Habitat:
	Like the closely related C. puniceus (G.Don) Sol. ex Lindl. this species prefers early to mid successional shrubland habitats dominated by flax (Phormium cookianum Le Jolis, and P. tenax J.R.Forst et G.Forst) and tutu (Coriaria arborea Lindsay) in coastal, lowland and montane habitats. Often found along the tops and bases of unstable cliff faces or rock falls. Some habitats may not be natural, as this species, was said to have been grown by Maori, and many inland associations occur in the vicinity of former pa, kainga, gardens or canoe haul outs.
Features:
	Shrub 1.5-6 m tall. Wood soft, stems "watery" easily broken. Branchlets semi-erect to weakly ascending, often decurved. Leaves 15-25 cm long, imparipinnate, with 15-30 pairs of subsessile leaflets. Leaflets, dark green, upper surface shiny (very glossy) 150-300 mm, linear-oblong, apex retuse or rounded. Inflorescences racemose, 15-30-flowered, located in leaf axils near branch apices. Flowers 80 mm, dark scarlet. Standard ovate-acuminate, 60 mm, dark scarlet, with a dark maroon (almost black blotch) and usually lacking stripes (these if present indistinct, often dotted; wings 30 mm long, lanceolate-falcate; keel 60 mm long, falcate-acuminate, dark scarlet. Pods long persistent, 80 mm, at first green and turgid, drying black and splitting open for entire length. Seeds numerous, c.1-1.5 mm diam, grey various striped or blotched with black, embedded in wispy grey, floccose hairs.
Similar Taxa:
	Closely related to C. puniceus which has mat-green foliage, whose upper leaf surface is often slightly glaucous in colour. C. maximus leaves are dark green, and the upper leaf surface very glossy. C. puniceus flowers are slightly smaller, the standard is conspicuously striped white, and the spur blotched or striped white as well. C. maximus flowers are larger, very dark red, blotched dark purple-black near the base (very rarely with a few faint white stripes) and the spur is uniformly dark red.
Flowering:
	May flower throughout the year. However plants are mostly found in flower between August and January
Fruiting:
	Seed pods may be present at any time of the year
Propagation Technique:
	Easily grown from seed, semi-hardwood cuttings, and stem layerings. Plants tend to be short-lived in cultivation (2-4 years), and benefit from hard pruning after flowering. Kaka beak is vulnerable to a range of common garden pests which include slugs and snails, it can be severely defoliated, by these animals, and young plants may be killed completely. Caterpillars, mites - which cause witches brooms, and various fungal diseases will also kill plants. To combat these problems grow plants in fertile, well drained, sunny sites free from surrounding shrubs. Despite its northerly distribution, kaka beak often does best in Southland, and is very tolerant of snowfall, and light frosts.
Threats:
	Though more widespread than C. puniceus this species is now at a very serious risk of extinction. Only 153 mature plants are known from the wild and at all sites they are threatened by a diverse range of introduced browsing animals, diseases, and natural senescence. Many populations occur in low scrub where they are threatened by fire, weed control operations, natural succession, and the unstable, erosion prone nature of the habitats in which they grow.
Chromosome No.:
	2n = c.32
Endemic Taxon:
	Yes
Endemic Genus:
	Yes
Endemic Family:
	No

Where To Buy
Now common in cultivation and widely sold. But prior to the early 1990s this species was virtually unknown in cultivation, most if not all horticultural stock then available being referrable to C. puniceus s.s. Can be purchased from Oratia Native Plant Nurseries (info@oratianatives.co.nz).

Start forum discussion for this plant.

Last updated: 18 Jan 2010