Rhabdothamnus

Rhabdothamnus solandri, is the only member of the genus Rhabdothamnus, and the only plant from the family Gesneriaceae native to New Zealand. The common names for the plant are New Zealand gloxinia, and in Māori language: taurepo, matata and waiuatua.

Rhabdothamnus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Lamiales
Family:	Gesneriaceae
Genus:	Rhabdothamnus A.Cunn.
Species:	R. solandri
Binomial name
Rhabdothamnus solandri A.Cunn.
Synonyms[1]
Columnea scabrosa Sol. ex DC. Rhabdothamnus scabrosus Steud.

Rhabdothamnus solandri is a small shrub growing to 2 metres. It is only found in the North Island in a variety of locations such as forests, near streams, or on banks. R. solandri has a distinctive red and yellow trumpet shaped flower.[2] The species is pollinated by bellbirds and stitchbirds.[3]

Due to extinction debt, the future extinction of this shrub is nearly guaranteed. The local extinction of several species of pollinating birds in 1870 has caused a long-term reduction in the reproduction of the shrub species, which requires these birds to produce seeds. However, as the plant is slow-growing and long-lived, its populations persist.[4]

See also

• Negria; the species Negria rhabdothamnoides F.Muell. was initially listed in F.Mueller's collections as Rhabdothamnus negriana, although he did not publish that name.

References

1. "ITIS Report". Retrieved 24 April 2014.
2. "Rhabdothamnus solandri The yellow-flowered taurepo". Taranaki Flora. Retrieved 2012-04-26.
3. "Decline of birds and pollination". Science Learning Hub. Retrieved 2019-08-31.
4. Anderson, S. H.; Kelly, D.; Ladley, J. J.; Molloy, S.; Terry, J. (2011). "Cascading Effects of Bird Functional Extinction Reduce Pollination and Plant Density". Science. 331 (6020): 1068–1071. Bibcode:2011Sci...331.1068A. doi:10.1126/science.1199092. PMID 21292938.