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An unusual Gesneriad and the only one native to from New Zealand. I was given it by Tom Hudson and it has settled quite well to life in the Hedychium House. It was reported in The Plantsman (Vol.11 part.2 2012) that the plant was pollinated by the bellbird and stitchbird, however these birds became extinct on the North Island when rats were introduced in the 1870s. Only 22% of flowers on North Island now produce fruits compared with 58% on offshore islands where the birds survive. The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network says: "Endemic monotypic genus. North Island and adjacent offshore islands. From Te Paki (North Cape) south to Manawatu Gorge, thence disjunct to just north of Pauatahanui Inlet, Porirua Harbour and at Smiths Creek near Makara, Wellington. Coastal to lowland and lower montane. Mostly a rupestral species in forest though it will extend into shrubland. Rhabdothamnus solandri is especially common in the lowland karst of the western Waikato where it is a prominent shrub along the many limestone gorges, outcrops, and cave entrances of that area. Although more common in coastal and lowland situations R. solandri can occur well inland in situations where frost is limited, such as along the banks of the Waikato River (near Mangakino). In New Zealand, Rhabdothamnus solandri is quite variable with larger-leaved, often yellow-flowered forms found on the northern North Island offshore island, e.g., Taranga (Hen Island), Hauturu (Little Barrier Island), Tuhua (Mayor Island), whilst a very small-leaved extremely scabrous form found at Maunganui Bluff is worthy of further study. |
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| 9th June 2021 | ||
