''Brachyglottis huntii'', commonly called rautini or Chatham Island Christmas tree, is a species of flowering plant in the family

Asteraceae Asteraceae () is a large family (biology), family of flowering plants that consists of over 32,000 known species in over 1,900 genera within the Order (biology), order Asterales. The number of species in Asteraceae is rivaled only by the Orchi ...

. It is found only on the

Chatham Islands The Chatham Islands ( ; Moriori language, Moriori: , 'Misty Sun'; ) are an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean about east of New Zealand's South Island, administered as part of New Zealand, and consisting of about 10 islands within an approxima ...

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

Description

''Brachyglottis huntii'' grows up to 8 meters tall in height, with leaves that grow up to 12 centimetres long. It is covered in down-like hairs which give an overall silvery hue. Coming into flower in the summer season, from November to February, it produces distinctive bright yellow flowers. Seeds are produced during the autumn season. ''Brachyglottis huntii'' has grey bark which flakes off in small shards when disturbed. Leaves are finely toothed in the upper third section. Branches are short, stout and spreading, and often bear multiple leaf scars. Leaves are aromatic and initially are covered in short matted hairs on both sides before becoming relatively hairless with age. It contains the pyrrolizidine alkaloids ''senkirkine'' and ''retrorsine'', which are both acutely toxic when consumed orally.

Habitat

Distribution is restricted on Chatham Island in the past century due to grazing threats and

habitat destruction Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss or habitat reduction) occurs when a natural habitat is no longer able to support its native species. The organisms once living there have either moved elsewhere, or are dead, leading to a decrease ...

. On Pitt Island, it is more widely spread due to lower numbers of grazing or feral stock animals. ''Brachyglottis huntii'' prefers disturbed regions, or those in the early successional ecological stages. These areas include along streams and riversides, drier swamps, open shrublands and along open ridges. This species is unable to cope with prolonged periods of drought or heavily shaded areas.

Threats

''Brachyglottis huntii'' is palatable to stock animals in younger forms, and considerable damage has been noted from both browsing and trampling. Habitat destruction also poses a considerable threat to the range of this species. Recently, cases have been noted of the collapse of healthy trees. Soil borne pathogens such as phytophora and verticillium wilt have been implicated, with future research being needed.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q4953446 huntii Flora of the Chatham Islands Endangered flora of New Zealand Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Endemic flora of New Zealand