Melicytus latifolius
Species of flowering plant in the violet family
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Melicytus latifolius, also known as the Norfolk Island mahoe, is a flowering plant in the violet family. It is endemic to the Australian external territory of Norfolk Island in the south-west Pacific Ocean. It was originally described in 1833 by Austrian botanist Stephan Endlicher.[2][1]
| Melicytus latifolius | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Embryophytes |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Malpighiales |
| Family: | Violaceae |
| Genus: | Melicytus |
| Species: | M. latifolius |
| Binomial name | |
| Melicytus latifolius | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Description
The species grows as a small tree – usually up to 4 m in height, but sometimes to 9 m.[1]
Distribution and habitat
The trees occur in moist upland hardwood forest and plateau hardwood forest, mainly in the Mount Pitt section of the Norfolk Island National Park. The species has been rare for some time; it is threatened by competition with invasive weeds; and its conservation status has been assessed as Critically Endangered.[1]
