Melicytus orarius is a species of flowering plant in the violet family Violaceae.[1]
| Melicytus orarius | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Malpighiales |
| Family: | Violaceae |
| Genus: | Melicytus |
| Species: | M. orarius
|
| Binomial name | |
| Melicytus orarius Heenan, de Lange, Courtney & Molloy
| |
Description
editA hermaphroditic, small (2.5 m) Melicytus bush with obovate leaves with a retuse apex, and purple-margined petals. It can grow prostrate in exposed conditions.[2]
It was described in 2017, with the type specimen coming from Wellington Harbor.[3]
Etymology
editorarius is the adjectival form of the Latin ōra, meaning shore.
Distribution
editNew Zealand, near the Cook Strait, on the North and South Island islands.
Habitat
editExposed headlands and rocks near the sea. It may require extensive guano deposits from seabirds in order to thrive, and populations that are in compromised habitats such as farmed islands like Kapiti or in suburban Wellington are now seen as relicts, while other populations on islets in the Cook Straight, especially in the Marlborough Sound, are still viable.[2]
References
edit- ^ "Cook Strait Māhoe (Melicytus orarius)". iNaturalist. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
- ^ a b Peter B. Heenan; Shannel P. Courtney; Peter J. De Lange; Brian P. J. Molloy (14 November 2017). "Three new Melicytus species from central New Zealand and a revised circumscription of Melicytus obovatus (Violaceae)". New Zealand Journal of Botany. 56 (1): 51–83. doi:10.1080/0028825X.2017.1387156. ISSN 0028-825X. Wikidata Q93466845.
- ^ "Melicytus orarius Heenan de Lange, Courtney & Molloy". Landcare Research Manaati Whenua. Retrieved 1 Sep 2024.
See also
edit- de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Melicytus orarius Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. . Accessed August 17 2024.
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