Paratrophis banksii
Common names
ewekuri, large-leaved milk tree, tūrepo
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Dicotyledons
Simplified description
Tree with grey spotted bark bearing dark green elliptical leaves that alternate along a slightly zig-zagged stem inhabiting warm areas, mainly on offshore islands. Leaves 3.5–8.5 cm long, paler underneath and vein network is easily visible. Flowers small, in clusters of long spikes. Fruit red, 6 mm wide.
Flower colours
Cream
Detailed description
Dioecious, robust tree or large shrub (depending on growing conditions) up to 12 m tall, usually with a broad canopy crown; trunk up to 0.8 m d.b.h., bark dark brown. Branches ascending at first then widely spreading; branchlets somewhat flexuous, wiry and pliant, initially puberulent and very lenticellate, later glabrate. Leaves of juvenile plants variable 20–60 × 10–30 mm, dark green above, paler beneath, elliptic-oblong , margins finely to deeply crenate, usually deeply lobed, pandurate, sinus obtuse; petioles up to 8 mm long. Leaves of adults 35–85 × 20–35 mm, dark green to yellow green, paler beneath, ovate to broadly ovate, ovate-elliptic, obtuse to subacute, margins crenate (very rarely lobed), petioles stout up to 10 mm long. Inflorescences axillary or terminal, spicate, solitary, paired or in threes; staminate up to 30 mm long, densely flowered, flowers rather densely close-set, almost imbricating, grey-green, perianth 4-partite, segments obtuse to rounded; pistillate similar, up to 25 mm long, flowers widely spaced, distichously arranged. Fruits up to 65 mm diameter, drupaceous, broad-ovoid, fleshy, flesh red.
Similar taxa
This species can and does hybridise with Paratrophis microphylla, and some mainland populations can be very hard to place in either species. Paratrophis banksii generally differs by its non-filiramulate growth habit, larger leaves and drupes.
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: North Island (mainly easterly from about Kaitaia to East Cape, Waikato and northern Hawkeʻs Bay, including islands of the Hauraki Gulf, thence somewhat disjunct reappearing in Horowhenua to Wellington and the western side of Wairarapa), South Island (northern parts where populations are known from Marlborough Sounds (mainly islands), Abel Tasman National Park, and also eastern Golden Bay).
Habitat
Coastal and lowland forests (0–200 m a.s.l.), preferring deep, fertile soils, large trees are often found on alluvial terraces. On offshore islands it seems more able to tolerate drier conditions and skeletal soils and may at times be found on steep cliff faces, rock ledges, or as stunted shrubs on cobble/boulder beaches.
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 | At Risk – Relict | Qualifiers: Sp, CD, PD
Threats
It would appear that this species may once have been quite widespread. However, its current distribution is typically sparse and it is rarely common anywhere except on rodent-free offshore islands in the Hauraki Gulf and off the eastern Coromandel Peninsula. In mainland areas and on rodent infested islands plants are damaged by possum and goat browsing, and also by rodents which avidly eat the fruit, seed and emerging seedlings. In remnants, where isolated trees often exist because the species is dioecious sex imbalance can be an issue. Successful island rodent eradication’s have allowed this species to restablish itself. It certainly responds rapidly to rodent removal.
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Synonyms
Streblus banksii (Cheeseman) C.Webb, Streblus heterophyllus var. ellipticus (Kirk) Corner, Paratrophis heterophylla var. elliptica Kirk
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
August–October
Fruiting
October–April
Propagation technique
Easily grown from fresh seed and can be grown from semi-hardwood cuttings (though success varies). A fast growing tree which makes an ideal specimen tree, and can be used as a hedge as it responds well to clipping. Prefers a deep, free draining, fertile soil. Once established it is very drought tolerant.
Other information
Taxonomy
Long known to New Zealanders as Paratrophis most of the New Zealand species were transferred to Streblus by Corner (1962), with the full transfer completed by Webb (in Connor & Edgar 1987). However, a recent comprehensive study by Gardner et al. (2021) reinstated Paratrophis as distinct from a recircumscribed Streblus. This decision, followed worldwide is accepted here as well.
Etymology
banksii: Named after Sir Joseph Banks, 1st Baronet, GCB, PRS (24 February 1743 - 19 June 1820) was an English naturalist, botanist and patron of the natural sciences.
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.
STRBAN
Chromosome number
2n = 28
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 | At Risk – Relict | Qualifiers: PD, Sp
2012 | At Risk – Relict | Qualifiers: Sp
2009 | At Risk – Relict | Qualifiers: Sp
2004 | Sparse
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Allan H.H. 1961: Flora of New Zealand, Volume I. Indigenous Tracheophyta: Psilopsida, Lycopsida, Filicopsida, Gymnospermae, Dicotyledones. Government Printer, Wellington, New Zealand. 1085 p.
Corner, E.J.H. 1962: The classification of Moraceae. Garden Bullettin of Singapore 19: 187–252
Connor, H.E.; Edgar, E. 1987: Name changes in the indigenous New Zealand flora, 1960–1986 and Nomina Nova IV, 1983–1986. New Zealand Journal of Botany 25: 115–170.
Gardner, E.M.; Garner, M.; Cowan, R.; Dodsworth, S.; Epitawalage, N.; Arifiani, D.; Sahromi; Baker, W.J.; Forest, F.; Maurin, O.; Zerega, N.J.C.; Monro, A.K.; Hipp, A.L. 2021: Repeated Parallel Losses of Inflexed Stamens in Moraceae: Phylogenomics and Generic Revision of the Tribe Moreae and the Reinstatement of the Tribe Olmedieae (Moraceae). Taxon 70: 946–88.
Mitcalfe, B., Horne, C. 2002: Large-leaved milk tree, ewekuri, in the Wellington Region. Wellington Botanical Society Bulletin 48: 41–43.
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange January 2005. Description adapted from Allan (1961).
Some of this factsheet information is derived from Flora of New Zealand Online and is used under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 New Zealand licence.
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Paratrophis banksii Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/paratrophis-banksii/ (Date website was queried)