The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Planchonella costata

Common Name(s)

Tawapou

Threat Status

Non Threatened

Status 2004

Non Threatened

Authority

Planchonella costata (Endl.) Pierre

Family

Sapotaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

Synonyms

Achras costata Endl., Pouteria costata (Endl.) Baehni, Planchonella novo-zelandica (F.Muell.) Allan, Achras novozelandica F. Muell.

Distribution

Indigenous. Norfolk Island and New Zealand where it found in the North Island only from Te Paki south to the Manukau and Coromandel Peninsula after which it occurs in scattered sites as far south as East Cape in the East and Kawhia Harbour in the west. Some of these southerly occurrences are associated with Pa sites, and as the glossy seeds were used as necklaces by Maori it is possible that this species was planted over some parts of its southern North Island range. Tawapou is common on rodent-free offshore islands in the Hauraki Gulf, around the Coromandel Peninsula, Great Barrier Island, and on the Mokohinau, Poor Knights, Hen & Chickens and Three Kings Islands.

Habitat

Strictly coastal where it is usually a minor (rarely dominant) component of coastal forest on rocky headlands and talus slopes, windswept ridge-lines, forested islands and islets. Usually associated with pohutukawa (Metrosideros excelsa), puriri (Vitex lucens), karaka (Corynocarpus laevigatus), whau (Entelea arborescens), kowhai (Sophora chathamica), tawaroa ( the northern wide-leaved form of Beilschmedia tawa) and on offshore islands such as the Three Kings, Poor Knights, Mokohinau Islands with coastal maire (Nestegis apetala), Streblus spp., and Hoheria spp.

Features

Tree up to 18 m. tall; trunk up to 1 m diameter; bark firm (not flaking), greyish-white to grey-brown, finely furrowed; branches numerous, erect and scarcey spreading, closely packed; branchlets clad in appressed hairs and ± lactescent (exuding amilky fluid). Leaves intially pubescent (pubescence comprising fine, matted greyish to grey-brown hairs), lactescent, petioles 8-12 mm long, rather stout and rigid. Lamina 40-150 × 20-50 mm, yellow-green to dark green, elliptic-to obovate-oblong, entire, very coriaceous, adaxially lustrous, when mature glabrous except on abaxial midrib, apex obtuse or retuse, base cuneately narrowed. Lateral veins numerous, set at a rather wide angle to midrib. Flowers axillary and/or cauliflorus, solitary or rarely 2 together, 3.8-6.2 mm diameter; [peduncles 6-12 mm long, rather stout and rigid ± curved; calyx 4(-5)-toothed, teeth narrowly to broadly ovate, pubescent, obtuse; hairs centrally affixed. Corolla greenish to yellow-green, slightly > calyx, deeply 4-5-partite; lobes obovate-oblong, 3.8-4.1 mm. long. Stamens 5, filaments thick; staminodes 5, subulate. Ovary 4-5-loculed. Fruit fleshy, 25-50 mm long, ovoid to ellipsoid, maturing dark purple-black, dark red or orange-yellow. Seeds 1-4, 22-48 mm long, curved, rather hard, testa black, glossy.

Similar Taxa

None

Flowering

September - November

Main Flower Colour

Green

Other Flower Colour

Yellow

Fruiting

December - June

Propagation Technique

Easily grown from fresh seed, Difficult from cuttings. A frost tender species that makes an excellent specimen tree for northern New Zealand parks and large gardens, and is ideal for planting in street avenues. Can be a little slow to establish in some sites but once it is established it is moderately fast growing, drought tolerant and has a pleasing growth habit. Tawapou can also be used as a hedge - though this spoils its attractive form.

Threats

Not Threatened

Chromosome No.

2n = 28

Endemic Taxon

No

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

This page last updated on 7 Dec 2010