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  4. Metrosideros parkinsonii

Metrosideros parkinsonii

In cultivation. Nov 2006.<br>Photographer: Geoff Davidson, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Metrosideros parkinsonii close up of flower buds, Ex Cult. Oratia Native Plant Nurseries.<br>Photographer: Peter J. de Lange, Date taken: 16/09/2006, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
In cultivation. Nov 2006.<br>Photographer: Geoff Davidson, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
In cultivation. Nov 2006.<br>Photographer: Geoff Davidson, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Metrosideros parkinsonii flower buds showing cauliflory, Ex Cult. Oratia Native Plant Nurseries.<br>Photographer: Peter J. de Lange, Date taken: 16/09/2006, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Metrosideros parkinsonii.<br>Photographer: Hamish Dean, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
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Common name

Parkinson’s rātā

Family

Myrtaceae

Authority

Metrosideros parkinsonii Buchanan

Flora category

Vascular – Native

Endemic taxon

Yes

Endemic genus

No

Endemic family

No

Structural class

Trees & Shrubs - Dicotyledons

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.

METPAR

Chromosome number

2n = 22

Current conservation status

The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2017 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website. This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2012 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants.

Please note, threat classifications are often suggested by authors when publications fall between NZTCS assessment periods – an interim threat classification status has not been assessed by the NZTCS panel.

  • Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2017 . 2018. Peter J. de Lange, Jeremy R. Rolfe, John W. Barkla, Shannel P. Courtney, Paul D. Champion, Leon R. Perrie, Sarah M. Beadel, Kerry A. Ford, Ilse Breitwieser, Ines Schönberger, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Peter B. Heenan and Kate Ladley. Department of Conservation. Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.

2018 | Threatened – Nationally Vulnerable

Previous conservation statuses

2017 | Threatened – Nationally Vulnerable | Qualifiers: DP, De

2012 | Not Threatened

2009 | Not Threatened

2004 | Not Threatened

Brief description

Much branched shrub or small tree. Trunks 1 or more. Branches erect. Leaves almost clasping stems, dark green to yellow green above, paler beneath, thick, leathery, pointed, surfaces often blistered and blemished red. Flowers crimson, fluffy produced directly from branches, and often hidden by vegetative growth.

Distribution

Endemic. New Zealand: North and South Islands. In the North Island known only from Hauturu (Little Barrier Island) and Aotea Island (Great Barrier Island). In the South Island confined to the western side where it is locally common from Mt Burnett (near Collingwood) south to just north of Hokitika.

Habitat

Coastal to montane forest. usually along ridgelines in peaty ground. In the North Island confined to montane “cloud” forest, usually in wind-pruned forest, scrubland and on the margins of cliff faces or surmounting rock outcrops

Features

Shrub to small spindly tree up to 10 m tall. Multi-trunked, trunks up to 60 mm d.b.h.. Bark pale grey, flaking in small tabular shards. Branches few to many, erect, Branchlets square in cross-section, 4-angled, glabrous, initially dark red, maturing brown-grey to grey. Emergent vegetative buds pink or red-tinged. Leaves coriaceous, glabrous, adaxially dark green to green, abaxially paler, oil glands minute, scarcely evident to naked eye (except abaxially) petiolate; petioles almost wanting 2.2-3.0 mm. long; lamina 25-75 × 15-30 mm, ovate-lanceolate, base truncate to subamplexicaul, apex usually abruptly narrowed, to an obtuse or subacute tip. Inflorescences cauliflorus, borne in compound, sometimes leafy cymose botyria, mostly below main vegetative branches. Flowers up to 8 per cyme, crimson. Hypanthium turbinate, margins exceeding disc, calyx lobes ovate-triangular. Ovary triloculiar. Capsules 3-valved, 6-8 mm long, brown-grey to grey, subglobose to globose.Petals caducous, 5 × 5 mm, suborbicular to oblong, margins finely denticulate or subentire; stamens numerous, filaments 20-28 mm long, anthers yellow, style 23-30 mm long, stigma capitate. Seeds 1.2-2.0 mm long, narrowly obtriangular, narrowly elliptic to narrowly obovate, straight, rarely curved toward apices, orange, unfilled seeds similar but darker in colour.

Manaaki Whenua Online Interactive Key

Key to the Myrtaceae of New Zealand

Similar taxa

Easily recognised by the shrub of small-tree, multi-trunked growth habit, often with spindly branches, shortly petiolate, ovate-lanceolate leaves, cauliforous flowering habit, and crimson flowers.

Flowering

September - December

Flower colours

Red/Pink

Fruiting

January - April

Propagation technique

Although a beautiful species, M. parkinsonii is difficult to maintain in cultivation, with even well established plants suddenly dying. While it can be grown from semi-hardwood cuttings these are difficult to strike. This species seems to do best planted in a damp, humus-enriched soil in a semi-shaded site.

Threats

Not Threatened. However, outside its north western South Island haunts it is only known from two small populations on Aotea Island (Great Barrier Island) and Hauturu (Little Barrier Island) where it is very uncommon. On Aotea some trees have been damaged by tracking up Mt Hirakimata (Mt Hobson). In the South Island, like all rata species, M. parkinsonii is impacted upon by possums.

Myrtle Rust (Austropuccinia psidii) is an invasive fungus which threatens native myrtle species - learn more myrtlerust.org.nz

Etymology

metrosideros: Iron heart

Where To Buy

Occasionally offered by specialist native plant nurseries.

Attribution

Fact sheet repared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange (8 January 2013). Description from herbarium specimens and fresh material

NZPCN Fact Sheet citation

Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Metrosideros parkinsonii Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/metrosideros-parkinsonii/ (Date website was queried)

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