Paratrophis smithii
Common names
Three Kings milk tree
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Dicotyledons
Simplified description
Multi-trunked small tree with speckled dark bark bearing large dark green wavy leaves on zig-zagged stems inhabiting the Three Kings Islands. Leaves 10-20cm long. Flowers small in often curved spikes originating from the twigs and branches. Fruit red, 8-9mm wide.
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 – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: CD, IE
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Synonyms
Streblus smithii (Cheeseman) Corner
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Other information
Extra information
Named in honour of Stephenson Percy Smith (1840-1922), New Zealand surveyor who accompanied Thomas Cheeseman when he visited the Three Kings Island group in August 1887. For further information read Val Smith’s biography in The New Zealand Botanical Society Newsletter (issue 104)
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
smithii: After the British botanist John Smith (1798-1888) or Stephenson Percy Smith (1840-1922).
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.
STRSMI
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 – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: CD, IE
2012 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: CD, IE
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: IE
2004 | Range Restricted
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
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.
May, V. 1997. Streblus smithii (Paratrophis smithii). Auckland Botanical Society Journal, 52: 64-65.