Melicytus macrophyllus
Common names
large-leaved māhoe
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Dicotyledons
Simplified description
Small bushy tree bearing many leathery oval leaves that have a few bumps on the margin inhabiting Northland and Auckland. Leaves 7-14cm long by 4-10cm wide, central vein green, vein network more visible on the underside. Flowers small, yellowish, scattered in groups along twig. Fruit purple.
Distribution
Endemic. North Island from near Kaitaia south the the Waitakere Ranges in the west and Mt William (near Bombay) in the east. Reports of the species from near Dunedin are based on mislabelled herbarium specimens
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.
Please note, threat classifications are often suggested by authors when publications fall between NZTCS assessment periods – these interim threat classification statuses has not been assessed by the NZTCS panel.
- 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 | Not Threatened
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Violaceae
Synonyms
None
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Propagation technique
Easily grown from fresh and semi-hardwood cuttings. An attractive shurb to small-tree which is tolerant of a wide range of soil conditions and light levels. Does best when planted under taller trees.
Other information
Etymology
melicytus: From the Greek meli (honey) and kytos (hollow container), referring to the staminal nectaries of the flowers. Literally “honey-cave”
macrophyllus: Big leaf
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.
MELMAC
Chromosome number
2n = 32
Previous conservation statuses
2017 | Not Threatened
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Referencing and citations
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Melicytus macrophyllus Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/melicytus-macrophyllus/ (Date website was queried)