Melicytus orarius
Species of plant
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Melicytus orarius, or Cook Strait māhoe, is a species of flowering plant in the violet family Violaceae.[1]
| Melicytus orarius | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Malpighiales |
| Family: | Violaceae |
| Genus: | Melicytus |
| Species: | M. orarius |
| Binomial name | |
| Melicytus orarius Heenan, de Lange, Courtney & Molloy | |
Description
A hermaphroditic, small (2.5 m (8 ft 2 in)) Melicytus bush with obovate leaves with a retuse apex, and purple-margined petals. It can grow prostrate in exposed conditions.[2]
It was described in 2017, with the type specimen coming from Wellington Harbour.[3]
Etymology
Distribution
New Zealand, near the Cook Strait, on the North and South Island islands, and nearby islets.
Habitat
Exposed headlands and rocks near the sea. It may require extensive guano deposits from seabirds in order to thrive, and populations that are in compromised habitats such as farmed islands like Kapiti or in suburban Wellington (such as in the Oku Street Reserve) are now seen as relicts, while other populations on islets in the Cook Strait, especially in the Marlborough Sound, are still viable.[2]
