Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Asterales
Family: Cornaceae,
Genus: Corokia
Species: Corokia cotoneaster
Scientific name: Corokia cotoneaster
Form name: Corokia cotoneaster ‘Paritutu’
Common name: Paritutu korokio, Corokia 'Paritutu', Corokia cotoneaster Paritutu, Paritutu corokia cotoneaster,
Paritutu korokio is a distinctive, divaricating, low-growing form of the widespread Corokia cotoneaster. This form grows naturally on Paritutu Rock on the coast of New Plymouth, Taranaki. It is also recorded as growing naturally in small widely scattered populations on the west coast of the North Island from Paritutu Rock, New Plymouth (the southern limit for this form) to as far north as Aotea Harbour which is north of Kawhia. It was recognised as a distinct form by Tony Druce a D.S.I.R botanist.
On Paritutu the korokio can be seen just below the summit, on the inland side, where it has formed a colony of low spreading divaricating plants of 50 cm high or less,
This coastal shrub has dark brown branches and the leaves under surfaces are covered in greyish-white tomentose.
This Paritutu form differs from other C. cotoneaster by bearing comparatively large leaves (> 3cm long), flowers (>1.5cm diameter). The bright yellow star-shaped flowers which appear in October. The large fruits of this form are always a yellow to light orange in colour unlike other C. cotoneaster can bear yellow, orange and red fruits within a single population.
Corokia cotoneaster ‘Paritutu’ growing in Tupare Gardens New Plymouth late October
A Corokia cotoneaster flower
The characteristic yellow-orange drupes of the Paritutu korokio.
The dark branches.
The leaves.
The underside of the leaves showing the thick tomentose.
Photo of the inland side of Paritutu rock where there is a colony of Corokia cotoneaster ‘Paritutu’
Thanks to Wikipedia for text and information http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
