Monimiaceae
Tropical and subtropical trees; all flower parts whorled, which represents an advance on Magnoliaceae. Important genera: native: Monimiceae: Hedycarya (pigeonwood), Laurelia (pukatea). Part of the text on this page has been modified from Allan (1961).
Hedycarya
Trees or shrubs with opposite leaves, dioecious
flowers, fruit formed from several drupes on the
receptacle. About 10
species, found in Australia, New Caledonia, Polynesia and New Zealand. New Zealand has one endemic species, Hedycarya
arborea (pigeonwood). This species is a tree up
to 15m tall with dark brown bark. The leaves are 50-120 mm long, obovate-oblong with widely serrate margins, coriaceous and
a reddish midvein. Flowers are between 5-12 mm in
diameter and grouped in short branched racemes. Fruit are drupes, which are 15
mm long and bright red when freshly mature. H. arborea grows in lowland
to montane forest over the whole country.
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Hedycarya arborea: from left to right; foliage, showing the wide serrations on the margins, flowers held in racemes and bright red 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.
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.