Kingdom: Plantae
(Unranked): Angiosperms
(Unranked): Eudicots
(Unranked): Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Alseuosmiaceae
Genus: Alseuosmia
Species: A. macrophylla
Binomial name: Alseuosmia macrophylla
Common name: Toropapa, Large-leaved Toropapa, karapapa, korotaiko, pere, Shrubby honeysuckle
Alseuosmia macrophylla is a small, native, shade-loving woody shrub found in lowland and montane forests from North Cape to Marlborough in the South Island. It is growing on Mt Egmont/Mt Taranaki. It is favoured by goats and severely depleted in Egmont National Park by browsing at the height of goat numbers in the 1960's. It is also highly palatable to possums
It is a glossy-leaved, much-branched shrub growing to 5 m. The alternate leaves are up to 5 cm wide by 15 cm long and vary in shape on the same plant and on nearby plants; they are sometimes lobed or slightly toothed on the margins.
Dark red/pink/cream/white single tubular flowers (4 cm long) have five (5 mm long) sepals and a 3-4 cm long tube of fused petals with fringed margins where they flare out at their tips. The pure white flower form was discovered in the Waitakere Ranges, Auckland in 2006, On some plants, the flowers have petal tubes that are yellow with flecks of pink and red. The flowers appear from late winter to early summer. Like all Alseuosmias A. macrophylla, it is notable for the strong, pleasant perfume of their flowers. The name of the genus translates as “sweet smell of the grove”.
Photographed at Te Kainga Marire Gardens, Spencer Place, New Plymouth\
The strong-smelling, red, tubular drooping flower. A pure white flower form was discovered in the Waitakere Ranges, Auckland in 2006
Flowers a pink form
The trees red berries February, March
Another of the leaf shapes
Thanks to Wikipedia for text and information http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
