Pittosporum tenuifolium Gaertn., Pittosporaceae

Click on an image for links to BIGGER PICTURES

Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Common name(s): [more details]

English: black matipo, kohuhu

Maori (NZ): kohuhu, tawhiwhi

Habit:  tree

Description:  "Tree up to ± 8 m. tall; trunk up to 3-(4) dm. in diameter; bark dark; branchlets and young leaves ± pubescent. Leaves alternate, on short petioles. Lamina oblong to oblong-ovate to elliptic-obovate, obtuse to acute or occasionally acuminate, (1)-3-(7) x (0·5)-1-2 cm., entire, thinly coriaceous, ± undulate; us. rather pale green above, lighter below. Flowers somewhat fragrant, axillary, solitary or in small cymes on short pedicels; bracts soon falling. Sepals narrowly ovate-oblong, subacute to obtuse, silky-hairy when young. Petals very dark red (almost black), ± 12 mm. long; limb spreading, at length reflexed. Ovary hairy, style rather long, Capsules ± 12 mm. in diameter, 2-valved, subglobose; valves glabrous, rugulose when mature, thinly woody, nearly black when mature"  (Allan, 1982; p. 312).

Habitat/ecology:  In New Zealand (native), "coastal to lower montane forest"  (Allan, 1982; p. 312).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  New Zealand (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Más a Tierra (Robinson Crusoe Island)	introduced invasive cultivated	Atkinson, Rachel/Sawyer, John (2011)
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Más a Tierra (Robinson Crusoe Island)	introduced cultivated	Danton, Philippe/Perrier, Christophe/Martinez Reyes, Guido (2006) (pp. 494, 540, 556) Voucher cited: Danton I(5/208)1545. "En RC, lo encontramos en un único jardin del pueblo de San Juan Bautista.  Al igual que otras especies de Pittosporum ya presentes en la isla, este arbusto, si se instala, pondrá nuevos problemas para la flora nativa".

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
New Zealand New Zealand	New Zealand (country)	native	Allan, H. H. (1982) (p. 312)

Additional information:
Information from the Global Invasive Species Database.

Additional online information about Pittosporum tenuifolium is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Information about Pittosporum tenuifolium as a weed (worldwide references) may be available from the Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW).

Taxonomic information about Pittosporum tenuifolium may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Allan, H. H. 1982. Flora of New Zealand, vol. I: Indigenous Tracheophyta - Psilopsida, Lycopsida, Filicopsida, Gymnospermae, Dicotyledons. Botany Division, DSIR, Christchurch. .

Atkinson, Rachel/Sawyer, John. 2011. Naturalized species in the Juan Fernández Archipelago, Chile. Unpublished spreadsheet.

Danton, Philippe/Perrier, Christophe/Martinez Reyes, Guido. 2006. Nouveau catalogue de la flore vaculaire de l'archipel Juan Fernández (Chile) [Nuevo catálogo de la flora vacular del Archipélago Juan Fernández (Chile)]. Acta Bot. Gallica 153(4):399-587.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2011. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.