Plagianthus regius subsp. regius
Common names
mānatu, ribbonwood, lowland ribbonwood
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Dicotyledons
Simplified description
Tall tree with soft jagged pointed leaves and long sprays of tiny yellowish flowers and small green fruit that fall as a unit. Wood soft. Leaves 3-7.5cm long, much wider at base. Juveniles with tangled twigs bearing shorter rounded leaves with blunt bases.
Flower colours
Green
Similar taxa
Plagainthus regius subsp. chathamicus is very similar. It is endemic to the Chatham Islands and differs only from subsp. regius by the complete lack of the filiramulate, divaricating juvenile growth habit typical of subsp. regius. Both subspecies are now present in New Zealand proper, and subsp. chathamicus is now often sold from garden centres as P. regius. So look for the divaricating growth habit if you want to ensure you have the appropriate plant for your area.
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: North, South and Stewart Islands
Habitat
Coastal to lower montane. Often a prominent tree in lowland alluvial forest.
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 | Not Threatened
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Synonyms
Philippodendrum regium Poiteau, Plagianthus betulinus A.Cunn., Plagianthus betulinus A.Cunn. var. betulinus, Plagianthus urticinus A.Cunn.
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
Yes
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
September - November
Propagation technique
Easily grown from fresh seed. However, seed is often difficult to obtain because it is usually damaged by insects. A very fast growing tree which is an excellent specimen tree for a large garden or park. Does well in most situations but prefers a fertile, moist but free draining soil.
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
plagianthus: Oblique or lop-sided flower (petals uneven at the base)
regius: Royal
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.
PLARSR
Chromosome number
2n = 42
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 | Not Threatened
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Regional conservation statuses
The regional threat classification system leverages off the national assessments in the NZTCS, providing information relevant for the regional context. Otago conservation status information is sourced from the “Regional conservation status of indigenous vascular plants in Otago” Jarvie S et al. (2024) report.
Otago: 2024 | Regionally Not Threatened