Lophomyrtus bullata
Common names
ramarama
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Dicotyledons
Simplified description
Brownish- or reddish-green bushy shrub bearing pairs of rounded oval bulging shiny leaves that are much paler underneath. New growth fuzzy. Leaves 1.5-3cm long, nearly as wide as long. Flowers white, with many white filaments projecting from shiny white centre. Fruit red to black, on a long stalk.
Flower colours
White
Detailed description
Shrub or tree up to 6 m tall or more. Trunk slender, up to 0.2 m diameter. Bark reddish, fibrous, flaking in small irregular shards, underbark pink. Branches numerous, erect, compactly branched, branchlets initially 4-angled becoming terete with age, rather brittle, finely hairy, hairs ± persistent. Leaves opposite, coriaceous, finely hirsute when young (hairs somewhat stiffly erect to sericeous, appressed, caducous), maturing glabrous, surface minutely glandular-punctate, oil glands colourless, leaf lamina and petiole decurrent with branchlet; petiole 2–5–(10) mm long, rather brittle; leaf lamina 15–30–(50) × 10–15–(40) mm, broadly ovate to suborbicular, bullate, apex obtuse or acute and then often minutely apiculate, adaxially dark green to yellow green, mottled and/or spotted with red, maroon or purple-black circular blemishes, abaixally pink or red-tinged. Flowers 4-merous, 12–14 mm diameter, borne in axillary, solitary monads, on slender, 12–14–(18) mm long, hirsute pedicels. Hypanthium subturbinate, not extending beyond ovary summit, calyx lobes 4, 1.5–2.2 mm long, persistent, spreading, elliptic-oblong, obtuse to subacute. Petals 8-10 × 6-9 mm, suborbicular, white, margins entire to slightly irregular, ciliate, oil glands colourless. Stamens 80 –100–(200 or more), free, in 4 (or more) weakly defined whorls, filaments 8–12 mm long, anthers cream, dorsifixed, latrorse. Ovary inferior, 2–3-locular, ovules numerous, in a single row on each linear placenta. Style 10–12 mm long, slender, white, stigma capitate, scarcely dilated. Fruit a broadly ovoid, dark red or black 6–8 mm long berry. Seeds numerous, reniform, 2.7–5.5 mm diameter, testa dark brown, glossy ± smooth, very hard. Seed description modified from Webb & Simpson (2001).
Similar taxa
Easily recognised by the suborbicular, bullate (i.e. ‘bubbly’) usually red-tinged and or mottled leaves.
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: North Isand, South Island. Scarce in the South Island where it ranges to about North Canterbury and Greymouth
Habitat
Coastal to montane forest and shrubland. Often a locally conspicuous component of the understorey of lowland podocarp riparian forest. Lophomyrtus bullata also occasionally grows on in suitable sites in slope forest, and in wetter areas is sometimes a common component of regenerating shrubland in cut over forest. Where it meets with rohutu (Lophomyrtus obcordata) the hybrid L. ×ralphii is often commonly found. Sometimes Lophomyrtus ×ralphii is locally dominant occurring in places where ramarama is scarce or has seemingly died out.
Current conservation status
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2022-2023 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website. This report includes replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Previous assessments can be found here.
- Conservation status of vascular plants in Aotearoa New Zealand, 2023. 2024. Peter J. de Lange, Jane Gosden, Shannel P. Courtney, Alexander J. Fergus, John W. Barkla, Sarah M. Beadel, Paul D. Champion, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Troy Makan and Pascale Michel Department of Conservation. Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2023 | Threatened – Nationally Critical | Qualifiers: RF
Threats
Seriously threatened by the arrival of myrtle rust in NZ, resulting in a change of conservation status in 2017 (de Lange et al 2018). To date, ramarama and its hybrids have been found with a higher rate of myrtle rust infection than other Myrtaceae in NZ. Learn more at myrtlerust.org.nz.
Detailed taxonomy
Genus
Family
Synonyms
Myrtus bullata Sol. ex A.Cunn. non Salis. nom. illegit., Myrtus aotearoana (E.C.Nelson) E.C.Nelson nom. illegit., Lophomyrtus aotearoana E.C.Nelson nom. illegit.
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
Yes
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
November–March
Fruiting
January–June
Propagation technique
Easily grown from fresh seed. Can also be grown from semi-hardwood and hardwood cuttings. Ramarama (Lophomyrtus bullata) is an attractive and remarkably hardy shrub that does well when planted in a semi-shaded site, in a free draining, moist, fertile soil enriched with leaf litter and compost. It is also surprisingly drought tolerant. On account of its bullate (“bubbly”) leaves and conspicuous flowers ramarama is a very attractive plant that is well worth growing. Ramarama is, however, rarely available from garden centres—although the hybrid swarm between it and rohutu (Lophomyrtus obcordata (L. ×ralphii)) including a hideous array of variegated horrors are quite commonly available and grown.
Wetland plant indicator status rating
Information derived from the revised national wetland plant list prepared to assist councils in delineating and monitoring wetlands (Clarkson et al., 2021 Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research Contract Report LC3975 for Hawke’s Bay Regional Council). The national plant list categorises plants by the extent to which they are found in wetlands and not ‘drylands’. The indicator status ratings are OBL (obligate wetland), FACW (facultative wetland), FAC (facultative), FACU (facultative upland), and UPL (obligate upland). If you have suggestions for the Wetland Indicator Status Rating, please contact: [Enable JavaScript to view protected content]
FACU: Facultative Upland
Occasionally is a hydrophyte but usually occurs in uplands (non-wetlands).
Other information
Etymology
lophomyrtus: From the Greek lophos (crest) and myrtus (myrtle)
bullata: Blistered
Manaaki Whenua Online Interactive Key
NVS code
The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.
LOPBUL
Chromosome number
2n = 22
Previous conservation statuses
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2022-2023 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website. This report includes replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Previous assessments can be found here.
- Conservation status of vascular plants in Aotearoa New Zealand, 2023. 2024. Peter J. de Lange, Jane Gosden, Shannel P. Courtney, Alexander J. Fergus, John W. Barkla, Sarah M. Beadel, Paul D. Champion, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Troy Makan and Pascale Michel Department of Conservation. Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2017 | Threatened – Nationally Critical | Qualifiers: DP
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Regional conservation statuses
Auckland: 2025 | Regionally Threatened – Regionally Critical | Qualifiers: DPS, DPT, PF, RF
The regional threat classification system leverages off the national assessments in the NZTCS, providing information relevant for the regional context. Auckland conservation status information is sourced from the “Conservation status of vascular plant species in Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland” Simpkins E et al. (2025) report.
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
de Lange PJ, Rolfe JR, Barkla JW, Courtney SP, Champion PD, Perrie LR, Beadel SM, Ford KA, Breitwieser I, Schonberger I, Hindmarsh-Walls R, Heenan PB, Ladley K. 2018. Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2017. New Zealand Threat Classification Series 22. Department of Conservation, Wellington, NZ. 82 p. https://www.doc.govt.nz/globalassets/documents/science-and-technical/nztcs22entire.pdf
Webb CJ, Simpson MJA. 2001. Seeds of New Zealand Gymnosperms and Dicotyledons. Manuka Press, Christchurch. 428 p.
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange 9 February 2011. Seed description modified from Webb & Simpson (2001).
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Lophomyrtus bullata Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/lophomyrtus-bullata/ (Date website was queried)