Melicytus novae-zelandiae subsp. centurionis

Melicytus novae-zelandiae subsp. centurionis is a flowering plant in the family Violaceae. It is a subspecies of Melicytus novae-zelandiae, known in New Zealand as coastal mahoe. The subspecific epithet honours the military Captain James Doran McComish (1881–1948), who made several visits in the 1930s to collect plants on Lord Howe Island.[1]

Melicytus novae-zelandiae subsp. centurionis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Violaceae
Genus: Melicytus
Species:
M. novae-zelandiae
Subspecies:
M. n. subsp. centurionis
Trinomial name
Melicytus novae-zelandiae subsp. centurionis

Description

It is a shrub or small tree growing to 5 m in height. The chartaceous (papery), glabrous, oval leaves are 40–70 mm long, 15–27 mm wide. Clusters of small greenish yellow flowers, 2 mm long, appear from August to October. The round, purple fruits are 6 mm in diameter.[1][2]

Distribution and habitat

The subspecies is endemic to Australia’s subtropical Lord Howe Island in the Tasman Sea. There it is rare, occurring in forest at intermediate elevations.[1][2]

References
  1. " Melicytus novae-zelandiae subsp. centurionis ". Flora of Australia Online: Data derived from Flora of Australia Volume 49 (1994). Australian Biological Resources Study (ABRS). Retrieved 2014-02-24.
  2. Hutton, Ian (1998). The Australian Geographic Book of Lord Howe Island. Sydney: Australian Geographic. p. 145. ISBN 978-1-876276-27-0.


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