Gallery OF NEW ZEALAND FLORA

Forest and Bird, Volume 15, Issue 2, 1 May 1984, Unnumbered Page

Gallery OF NEW ZEALAND FLORA

DAVID G. COLLINGWOOD

confined to the Northern half of the North Island and | xerba brexioides, the Tawari. This small tree is is most plentiful in the kauri district.

Its distribution is in lowland and lower montaine forest from 35° 30’ to a little south of 38° eg. from Whangaroa to the northern portion of Hawkes Bay.

This tree is generally a large shrub with ascending branches but it can attain 10m in height with a trunk up to 60cm at elevations above 500 metres. The leaves are glossy, leathery 7-17cm long and 1-2.5cm broad and toothed, each tooth being tipped by a gland.

The flowers are large 3.7 to 4cm diameter and consist of five calyx leaves, five petals, five stamens and a lobed disk surrounding a five celled ovary. The petals area

waxy white and pointed. The wood is white and even textured with a brownish heart. It is heavy, believed to be durable and was used as pit props in the higher Thames goldmines in the past.

It was first described by A. Cunningham in Annals of Natural History 3, 1839, based on his collection of the plant in Whangaroa in November 1828. The name chosen is interesting because ‘"‘Ixerba’’ is an anagram of ‘‘Brexia’’. The genus /xerba comprises this one species which is endemic and unique to New Zealand. Thomas Kirk said in 1889 that ‘‘/xerba brexioides is one of the most striking and beautiful plants in the colony"’. Cockayne in 1910 commented that ‘‘New Zealand forests are not distinguished for their brilliant flowers, most are inconspicious and of dull colour’. But he noted some exceptions and among these he recommended Tawari saying ‘‘/xerba brexioides of the Auckland upland forests is so showy that the Maoris had a special name ‘Whakau’ for its blooms’’. Indeed it is one of the very few trees whose flowers were so honoured. T. F. Cheeseman in 1925 said ‘‘Its elegant foliage and its conspicuous large white flowers often produced in great abundance, renders it most attractive. In olden times the flowers were strung into necklaces and garlands, and worn by maoris as personal adornment on gala days and festivals’. With such commendation from these three great botanists we must realise that we are dealing with one of New Zealand's most beautiful and elegant trees. One would think it would make a most beautiful garden shrub with its glorious flowers appearing from

exposure and is difficult to cultivate, prefering its forest setting. Too often it has been swept aside in forest clearances never recognised for its importance and beauty.