Category: Plants

Hebe stricta var. atkinsonii and Hebe stenophylla var. stenophylla

These shrubs are colonisers and are also part of the stable shrublands on Puangiangi. H. stenophylla has smaller, narrower leaves than H. stricta. I know, they are meant to be Veronica now, but Hebe will still do, thanks. The variety atkinsonii is arguably no longer recognised, but I include that to acknowledge Chris Horne and the late Barbara Mitcalfe, who broke it out as that variety and did such a great job on the 2012 botanical survey despite very poor weather at times. The summertime flowers are a good source of nectar for insects and lizards. Our only post-release record of striped gecko (so far) was on koromiko. Very common shrubs that everyone will know, or at least know their local variant.

(Part of an ongoing effort to photograph all the vascular plants on the island. Each species will get a page when I get enough reasonable photos.)

Metrosideros perforata

This vine climbs on trees to the canopy and is quite common on Puangiangi. Young plants will also scramble over rocks and even colonise grassy areas. It is the only Metrosideros on the island apart from a few adventive pohutukawa which we are trying to eradicate as that tree is out of range. Metrosideros perforata is potentially threatened by myrtle rust, which does not seem to have arrived on the island.

(What is this about? I’d like to get photos of all the trees, shrubs, climbers, ferns on the island and publish the photos on the website. Each species will get a page when I get enough reasonable photos.)