Mangeao
Encyclopedia
Mangeao is an evergreen tree endemic to the North Island
of New Zealand
, occurring in lowland forest from near North Cape
south to about 38°S. It belongs to the Laurel family, Lauraceae
.
Mangeao is the only New Zealand
representative of the genus Litsea
which consists of 200-400 species of evergreen
or deciduous
trees or shrubs in tropical and subtropical Asia
, Australia
, North America
and South America
. There are more than 70 species in China
, mostly in warm regions in the south and southwest. Mangeao grows up to 15 m in height, and has smooth dark greyish brown bark. The leaves are opposite, 5-15 cm long, ovate or ovate-oblong, and bluish-green below. The flowers are small, in umbels of 4 to 5, the fruit is an oblong-ovoid drupe, 2 mm long, reddish and seated on a disc. A tree planted by the Rev Richard Taylor
in 1860 was measured about 120 years later as 13 metres tall with a trunk diameter of 92 cm. Mangeao is commonest in the southern part of its range, especially in the hill country between Te Kuiti
and the west coast, and in the Kaimai Ranges
between Katikati
and Rotorua
. Thriving best on limestone-derived soils or heavy clays, Mangeao requires good drainage and has low tolerance of drought conditions. Young trees are very frost tender.
Mangeao produces high quality timber with excellent strength and flexibility. The wood is white, firm, and strong, combining toughness with elasticity and light weight. In the 19th century it was used for many purposes including the making of barrels and wheels, and for boat frames, railway carriages and sporting goods. It also produces a high quality sliced veneer. Current uses are in the making of violins and for the ribs of kayaks. It was also used for the 9th floor of the Beehive building
(the executive wing of the New Zealand Parliament). The Māori are said to have used it for its medicinal properties.
s.
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...
of 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...
, occurring in lowland forest from near North Cape
North Cape, New Zealand
North Cape is located at the northern end of the North Auckland Peninsula in the North Island of New Zealand . It is the northeastern tip of the Aupouri Peninsula and lies 30 km east of Cape Reinga. The name is sometimes used to refer just to the cape which is known in Māori as Otou and which...
south to about 38°S. It belongs to the Laurel family, Lauraceae
Lauraceae
The Lauraceae or Laurel family comprises a group of flowering plants included in the order Laurales. The family contains about 55 genera and over 3500, perhaps as many as 4000, species world-wide, mostly from warm or tropical regions, especially Southeast Asia and South America...
.
Description
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...
representative of the genus Litsea
Litsea
Litsea is a genus of evergreen or deciduous trees or shrubs belonging to the Laurel family, Lauraceae. The genus includes 200 to 400 species in tropical and subtropical areas of both hemispheres.-Overview:Trees or shrubs, dioecious...
which consists of 200-400 species of evergreen
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...
or deciduous
Deciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
trees or shrubs in tropical and subtropical Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. There are more than 70 species in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, mostly in warm regions in the south and southwest. Mangeao grows up to 15 m in height, and has smooth dark greyish brown bark. The leaves are opposite, 5-15 cm long, ovate or ovate-oblong, and bluish-green below. The flowers are small, in umbels of 4 to 5, the fruit is an oblong-ovoid drupe, 2 mm long, reddish and seated on a disc. A tree planted by the Rev Richard Taylor
Richard Taylor
Richard Taylor may refer to:*Richard Taylor , father of U.S. president Zachary Taylor*Richard Taylor , British general*Richard Taylor , son of U.S...
in 1860 was measured about 120 years later as 13 metres tall with a trunk diameter of 92 cm. Mangeao is commonest in the southern part of its range, especially in the hill country between Te Kuiti
Te Kuiti
Te Kuiti is a small town in the south of the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand. It lies at the junction of State Highways 3 and 30 and on the North Island Main Trunk Railway, 80 km south of Hamilton....
and the west coast, and in the Kaimai Ranges
Kaimai Ranges
The Kaimai Range is a mountain range in the North Island of New Zealand. It is part of a series of ranges, with the Coromandel Range to the north and the Mamaku Ranges to the south. The Kaimai Range separates the Waikato in the west from the Bay of Plenty in the east.The highest point of the range...
between Katikati
Katikati
Katikati is a town located on the Uretara Stream near the tidal inlet opened by Matakana Island in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand. The nearest city is Tauranga, which is 40 kilometres to the southeast. Katikati lies 28 kilometres south of Waihi.Katikati was settled in 1875 by settlers from County...
and Rotorua
Rotorua
Rotorua is a city on the southern shores of the lake of the same name, in the Bay of Plenty region of the North Island of New Zealand. The city is the seat of the Rotorua District, a territorial authority encompassing the city and several other nearby towns...
. Thriving best on limestone-derived soils or heavy clays, Mangeao requires good drainage and has low tolerance of drought conditions. Young trees are very frost tender.
Uses
Beehive (building)
The Beehive is the common name for the Executive Wing of the New Zealand Parliament Buildings, located at the corner of Molesworth Street and Lambton Quay, Wellington...
(the executive wing of the New Zealand Parliament). The Māori are said to have used it for its medicinal properties.
Threats
Apart from the threat posed by forest clearance, Mangeao suffers badly from browsing by possumCommon Brushtail Possum
The Common Brushtail Possum is a nocturnal, semi-arboreal marsupial of the family Phalangeridae, it is native to Australia, and the largest of the possums.Like most possums, the Common Brushtail is nocturnal...
s.