Wood rose (New Zealand)
Encyclopedia
Dactylanthus taylorii, commonly known as wood rose or Hades flower, is a fully parasitic plant that grows on the roots of certain trees in New Zealand
. The host
tree responds to the presence of Dactylanthus by forming a burl-like structure that resembles a fluted wooden rose
(hence the common name). Māori
names for wood rose are pua o te reinga or pua reinga ("flower of the underworld") and waewae atua, "feet of gods". It is the only species in the Dactylanthus genus. One of its most common host trees is pate or seven-finger (Schefflera digitata
).
by the native New Zealand Lesser Short-tailed Bat
. The nectar exudes a musky smell that resembles mammalian sweat
. Introduced mice
and rat
s also pollinate them although rats tend to destroy them. Fruits about 2 millimetre (0.078740157480315 in) long are produced from February to May. The plant has no green
leaves, and root
s are also absent, the plant being connected to the host by its stem
. Some plants have been aged in excess of 30 years old. It prefers damp but not waterlogged soil
, and is often found at the head of small streams. It tends to live under dense canopies of tall trees but some specimens may be found at forest borders.
The plant is cryptic
, and hence hard to survey, but there are unlikely to be more than a few thousand in existence. Most of these are in the North Island
, including Northland
, Coromandel Peninsula
, East Coast
and central regions, but there are a few on Little Barrier Island. It is likely that many sites are known only to collectors, as the woody growth has commercial value.
The wood rose is under threat from harvesting by collectors, browsing by possum
s, rats, pig
s and deer
, habitat loss, and the rarity of its pollinators
and seed dispersers.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. The host
Host (biology)
In biology, a host is an organism that harbors a parasite, or a mutual or commensal symbiont, typically providing nourishment and shelter. In botany, a host plant is one that supplies food resources and substrate for certain insects or other fauna...
tree responds to the presence of Dactylanthus by forming a burl-like structure that resembles a fluted wooden rose
Rose
A rose is a woody perennial of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species. They form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Flowers are large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows...
(hence the common name). Māori
Māori
The Māori are the native or indigenous Polynesian people of New Zealand . They arrived in New Zealand from eastern Polynesia in several waves at some time before 1300 CE. Over several centuries in isolation, the Māori developed a unique culture with their own language, a rich mythology,...
names for wood rose are pua o te reinga or pua reinga ("flower of the underworld") and waewae atua, "feet of gods". It is the only species in the Dactylanthus genus. One of its most common host trees is pate or seven-finger (Schefflera digitata
Schefflera digitata
Schefflera digitata, Patē or Seven-finger, is a tree endemic to New Zealand belonging to the family Araliaceae. The Māori name is Patē or Patatē. It occurs in lowland to lower montane forests from sea level to 1200 m in the North Island, South Island, and Stewart Island, covering a latitudinal...
).
Physical description
Plants are either male or female. They flower between January and April and are primarily pollinatedPollination
Pollination is the process by which pollen is transferred in plants, thereby enabling fertilisation and sexual reproduction. Pollen grains transport the male gametes to where the female gamete are contained within the carpel; in gymnosperms the pollen is directly applied to the ovule itself...
by the native New Zealand Lesser Short-tailed Bat
New Zealand Lesser Short-tailed Bat
The Lesser Short-tailed Bat, Mystacina tuberculata or Pekapeka-tou-poto in Māori, is one of only two species of short-tailed bats in the family Mystacinidae, which is endemic to New Zealand.-Description:...
. The nectar exudes a musky smell that resembles mammalian sweat
SWEAT
SWEAT is an OLN/TSN show hosted by Julie Zwillich that aired in 2003-2004.Each of the 13 half-hour episodes of SWEAT features a different outdoor sport: kayaking, mountain biking, ice hockey, beach volleyball, soccer, windsurfing, rowing, Ultimate, triathlon, wakeboarding, snowboarding, telemark...
. Introduced mice
Mouse
A mouse is a small mammal belonging to the order of rodents. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse . It is also a popular pet. In some places, certain kinds of field mice are also common. This rodent is eaten by large birds such as hawks and eagles...
and rat
Rat
Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents of the superfamily Muroidea. "True rats" are members of the genus Rattus, the most important of which to humans are the black rat, Rattus rattus, and the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus...
s also pollinate them although rats tend to destroy them. Fruits about 2 millimetre (0.078740157480315 in) long are produced from February to May. The plant has no green
Chlorophyll
Chlorophyll is a green pigment found in almost all plants, algae, and cyanobacteria. Its name is derived from the Greek words χλωρος, chloros and φύλλον, phyllon . Chlorophyll is an extremely important biomolecule, critical in photosynthesis, which allows plants to obtain energy from light...
leaves, and root
Root
In vascular plants, the root is the organ of a plant that typically lies below the surface of the soil. This is not always the case, however, since a root can also be aerial or aerating . Furthermore, a stem normally occurring below ground is not exceptional either...
s are also absent, the plant being connected to the host by its stem
Plant stem
A stem is one of two main structural axes of a vascular plant. The stem is normally divided into nodes and internodes, the nodes hold buds which grow into one or more leaves, inflorescence , conifer cones, roots, other stems etc. The internodes distance one node from another...
. Some plants have been aged in excess of 30 years old. It prefers damp but not waterlogged soil
Soil
Soil is a natural body consisting of layers of mineral constituents of variable thicknesses, which differ from the parent materials in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics...
, and is often found at the head of small streams. It tends to live under dense canopies of tall trees but some specimens may be found at forest borders.
The plant is cryptic
Crypsis
In ecology, crypsis is the ability of an organism to avoid observation or detection by other organisms. It may be either a predation strategy or an antipredator adaptation, and methods include camouflage, nocturnality, subterranean lifestyle, transparency, and mimicry...
, and hence hard to survey, but there are unlikely to be more than a few thousand in existence. Most of these are in the North Island
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
, including Northland
North Auckland Peninsula
The North Auckland Peninsula, frequently referred to simply as the Northland Peninsula, is located in the far north of the North Island of New Zealand. The peninsula is easily confused with, though not the same as Northland Region, which occupies the top 80% of the peninsula...
, Coromandel Peninsula
Coromandel Peninsula
The Coromandel Peninsula lies in the North Island of New Zealand. It is part of the Waikato Region and Thames-Coromandel District and extends 85 kilometres north from the western end of the Bay of Plenty, forming a natural barrier to protect the Hauraki Gulf and the Firth of Thames in the west...
, East Coast
Gisborne, New Zealand
-Economy:The harbour was host to many ships in the past and had developed as a river port to provide a more secure location for shipping compared with the open roadstead of Poverty Bay which can be exposed to southerly swells. A meat works was sited beside the harbour and meat and wool was shipped...
and central regions, but there are a few on Little Barrier Island. It is likely that many sites are known only to collectors, as the woody growth has commercial value.
Conservation status
Dactylanthus is regarded, as of 2004, as a 'Category A' threatened species. The New Zealand Department of Conservation started a recovery plan in 1995. Protection measures include pest control and enclosure of the plants in cages.The wood rose is under threat from harvesting by collectors, browsing by possum
Possum
A possum is any of about 70 small to medium-sized arboreal marsupial species native to Australia, New Guinea, and Sulawesi .Possums are quadrupedal diprotodont marsupials with long tails...
s, rats, pig
Pig
A pig is any of the animals in the genus Sus, within the Suidae family of even-toed ungulates. Pigs include the domestic pig, its ancestor the wild boar, and several other wild relatives...
s and deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
, habitat loss, and the rarity of its pollinators
Pollinator decline
The term pollinator decline refers to the reduction in abundance of pollinators in many ecosystems worldwide during the end of the twentieth century....
and seed dispersers.
External links
- Department of Conservation - wood rose information.