Maire
Encyclopedia
Syzygium maire, Swamp Maire, is an evergreen
tree endemic to New Zealand
. It is found throughout the North Island
, and the top of the South Island
. The Māori language
name is . Swamp maire grows in wetlands, where it develops breathing roots in waterlogged soils, but is also tolerant of reasonably dry situations. The creamy-white flowers in autumn are followed by bright red drupe
s around 3 cm in length in late winter. The fruit are edible and can be eaten raw or cooked. The fruits are rich in antioxidants. Swamp maire is sold for use in gardens as an ornamental plant
.
Evergreen
In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that has leaves in all seasons. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season.There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs...
tree endemic to New Zealand
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...
. It is found throughout 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...
, and the top of the South Island
South Island
The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...
. The Māori language
Maori language
Māori or te reo Māori , commonly te reo , is the language of the indigenous population of New Zealand, the Māori. It has the status of an official language in New Zealand...
name is . Swamp maire grows in wetlands, where it develops breathing roots in waterlogged soils, but is also tolerant of reasonably dry situations. The creamy-white flowers in autumn are followed by bright red drupe
Drupe
In botany, a drupe is a fruit in which an outer fleshy part surrounds a shell of hardened endocarp with a seed inside. These fruits develop from a single carpel, and mostly from flowers with superior ovaries...
s around 3 cm in length in late winter. The fruit are edible and can be eaten raw or cooked. The fruits are rich in antioxidants. Swamp maire is sold for use in gardens as an ornamental plant
Ornamental plant
Ornamental plants are plants that are grown for decorative purposes in gardens and landscape design projects, as house plants, for cut flowers and specimen display...
.
External links
- New Zealand Plant Conservation Network, URL:Syzygium maire, accessed 2010-10-04.
- Marilyn Head, ABC Science Online, URL:Maori plants richest in antioxidants, accessed 21 April 2008.