Re: Name this New Zealand plant?

Richard Starkeson wrote:
> 
> For those of you familiar with New Zealand flora -
> I would like to identify a shrub/tree I encountered in the forest near
> Queenstown, and all I have is a leaf.  The leaves, however, are very
> striking in appearance.  The only specimens I saw were  about 3 meters
> tall, not bushy, but with a few branches, growing in deep shade.  I saw
> several, but there were not a lot of this tree/shrub.  The leaves are
> alternate, and the stem seems to make a slight change of direction at
> each node (somewhat like a Cercis occidentalis).  The leaves are about 2
> cm wide by slightly less than 3 cm long, generally oval, but slightly
> curved; margins with a tiny tooth at the end of each vein and a very
> slight indentation in the margin above each tooth.  What was
> particularly striking about the appearance was the coloration:  they
> definitely had a marbled or variegated look, which is apparent from
> quite a distance.  The leaves are a very light but bright yellowish
> green, with very dark green areas along all the veins and midrib.  They
> are pale on the underside.  I asked a ranger at a DOC office, and she
> said it might be a Putaputaweta .  The photo  I saw in my guidebook of
> this tree, didn't show the marbling of the leaf however.  I wondered if
> the new leaves just showed the marbling effect more stronly than older
> leaves, or leaves in a mature specimen.  Would really like to find out
> what it is for sure, and possibly obtain seeds for growing it here..

Richard

You certainly seem to have packed a lot into your trip!1

Regarding the tree you enquired about, the ranger seems to have been
bang on. An alternative name for Putaputaweta is _"Marble Leaf"_.

 As the leaf size you quote is at the lower end of the range it might
have been a young tree. Juvernile leaves are notably smaller and a bit
wider than the mature foliage. Foliage is described as dark green with
lighter marbling, less obvious on older leaves. This marbling must be
hard to photograph as it doesn't show up in the pics I have. Indeed even
Audrey Eagle, whose paintings of NZ trees are so excellent also does not
show it particularly clearly.

The curious name, (said puta-puta-weta) which in Maori means means "Many
Weta Holes" relates to the fact the trees very often have lots of holes
in the trunk, due to the boring of Puriri moth caterpillars, which eat
wood. Tneir abandoned holes apparently are looked on by a species of
Weta (a large NZ cricket) as most desirable residences in which to spend
the daylight hours.

The best bet for obtaining seed would be to write to Otari. They are
usually very obliging. If they have a fruiting specimen, they would
almost certainly be willing to collect seed for you.

Their e-mail address is otari@wcc.govt.nz and their official designation
Otari Native Plant Garden.
 
Hope you have success

Moira

-- 
Tony & Moira Ryan <theryans@xtra.co.nz>
Wainuiomata, New Zealand. (on the "Ring of Fire" in the SW Pacific).
Lat. 41:16S Long. 174:58E. Climate: Mediterranean/Temperate
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