Lauraceae

Tropical and subtropical trees; all flower parts whorled, which represents an advance on Magnoliaceae. Important genera: native: Lauraceae: Beilschmiedia (tawa, tawaroa, taraire), Litsea (mangeao), exotic: Cinnamomum (camphor, cinnamon), Persea (avacado), Lavishobilos. Part of the text on this page has been modified from Allan (1961).

Laurelia

Aromatic trees with opposite, coriaceous leaves. Flowers are dioecious to polygamous. The fruit is several achenes enclosed within an enlarged perianth. The genus contains two species, one in Chile and one in New Zealand. The New Zealand species Laurelia novae-zealandiae (pukatea) is a tree reaching 30 m with a trunk that is a plank-buttress at the base. The branchlets are four-sided. The leaves are between 40-75 mm long, oblong, bluntly serrate, dark green and glossy above, paler below. Flowers are very small and held in short axillary racemes and the fruit is 25 mm long Grows in lowland semi-swamp and gully forest from the North Island down to northern Marlborough and western Nelson in the South Island.

Laurelia novae-zealandiae: from left to right; a tree, note the buttress trunk base, the glossy leaves with sharply serrated margins and foliage and fruit.

Key

Allan, H.H. 1961: Flora of New Zealand, Volume I, Government Printer, Wellington.

References

Allan, H.H. 1961: Flora of New Zealand, Volume I, Government Printer, Wellington.

Poole, A. L. & N. M. Adams 1994: Trees and shrubs of New Zealand. Government Printer, Wellington.

Beilschmiedia

Trees and shrubs with alternate or opposite leaves. Flowers are small and bisexual, fruit an ovoid drupe. Over 200 species, mostly tropical. Three endemic species in New Zealand.

Beilschmiedia tarairi (taraire)

Tree reaching 20 m or more in height. Smooth brown bark, young branchlets covered in a red-brown velvety tomentum. Leaves 70-140 mm long, alternate, broadly oblong, coriaceous, blue-green beneath with veins covered in soft hairs. Flowers very small, pale green and held in dense axillary panicles up to 100 mm long, drupes are 40 mm long and dark purple when ripe. Grows in lowland forest from North Cape to East Cape and Raglan.

Beilschmiedia tarairi foliage.

Beilschmiedia tawa (tawa)

Tree up to 30 m tall, smooth blackish bark. The leaves are 50-100 mm long, opposite or sub-opposite, lanceolate to narrow elliptic, thinly coriaceous, yellow green above, bluish-green below. Flowers very small, pale green and held in lose axillary panicles up to 180 mm long, drupes 25 mm long and dark purple when ripe. Grows in lowland to montane forest from North Cape to Takaka and Kaikoura.

Beilschmiedia tawa foliage and drupes.

Beilschmiedia tawaroa (tawaroa)

Tree up to 18 m tall, smooth very dark brown bark. The leaves are 50-80 mm long, opposite or sub-opposite, broad elliptic, dark green and shiny above, bluish-green below. Flowers very small, pale green and held in lose axillary panicles up to 100 mm long, drupes are 25 mm long and dark purple when ripe. Coastal forest on the east coast from Mangonui to East Cape and adjacent off shore islands.

Keys

Allan, H.H. 1961: Flora of New Zealand, Volume I, Government Printer, Wellington

Wright, A.E. 1984: Beilschmiedia Nees (Lauraceae) in New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 22: 109-125

References

Allan, H.H. 1961: Flora of New Zealand, Volume I, Government Printer, Wellington.

Poole, A. L. & N. M. Adams 1994: Trees and shrubs of New Zealand. Government Printer, Wellington.

Webb, C.J., W.R. Sykes & P.J. Garnock-Jones 1988: Flora of New Zealand, Volume IV. Botany Division, DSIR, Christchurch.

Wright, A.E. 1984: Beilschmiedia Nees (Lauraceae) in New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 22: 109-125

Litsea

Trees or shrubs with alternate, rarely opposite leaves. Male and female flowers on separate plants, held in small umbels. Fruit a drupe. About 150 species, mostly tropical. One endemic species in New Zealand, Litsea calicaris (mangeao). A tree reaching 15 m in height with smooth dark greyish brown bark. Opposite leaves, 50-150 mm long, ovate or ovate-oblong, bluish-green below. Flowers small, in umbels of 4-5, drupe oblong-ovoid, 2 mm long, reddish and seated on a disc.

Litsea calicaris foliage and drupes.

Key

Allan, H.H. 1961: Flora of New Zealand, Volume I, Government Printer, Wellington.

References

Allan, H.H. 1961: Flora of New Zealand, Volume I, Government Printer, Wellington.

Poole, A. L. & N. M. Adams 1994: Trees and shrubs of New Zealand. Government Printer, Wellington.