''Clianthus'', commonly known as kakabeak (''kōwhai ngutukākā'' in
Māori), is a
genus of
flowering plants in the legume
family , comprising two
species of
shrub
A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...
s
native to New Zealand. They have striking clusters of red flowers which resemble the beak of the
kaka
Kaka may refer to:
People Nickname or given name Sports
* Carlos Augusto dos Santos da Silva (born 1987), Brazil-born Italy international futsal player
* Kaká (born 1982), Brazilian footballer Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite
* Kaká (football ...
, a New Zealand parrot. The plants are also known as parrot's beak, parrot's bill and lobster claw – all references to the distinctive flowers. There is also a variety with white to creamy coloured flowers called: "Albus," and a variety with rosy pink flowers called: "Roseus."
The two species are the critically endangered ''
Clianthus puniceus'' which is now known in the wild only on
Moturemu Island in the
Kaipara Harbour, and the endangered ''
Clianthus maximus
''Clianthus maximus'', commonly known as kaka beak (''kōwhai ngutu-kākā'' in Māori), is a woody legume shrub native to New Zealand's North Island. It is one of two species of ''Clianthus'' (kaka beak) and both have striking clusters of re ...
''. In a 2005 survey, only 153 plants of ''C. maximus'' were found (down from over 1000 in 1996), mainly in the
East Cape region.
[Wild kakabeak close to extinction](_blank)
New Zealand Biodiversity, 23 December 2005. Retrieved 28 July 2008. ''C. maximus'' is widely grown as a garden plant in New Zealand, but the cultivated lines are descended from only a few plants and are not
genetically diverse. ''C. puniceus'' is cultivated and has given rise to award-winning
cultivars.
Kakabeak grows to around two metres high, with spreading branches producing leaf stalks up to 15 cm long bearing several pairs of small leaflets. They usually flower from spring through to early summer, but can flower twice a year or even year round.
Joseph Banks
Sir Joseph Banks, 1st Baronet, (19 June 1820) was an English naturalist, botanist, and patron of the natural sciences.
Banks made his name on the 1766 natural-history expedition to Newfoundland and Labrador. He took part in Captain James ...
and
Daniel Solander collected specimens of ''Clianthus'' in 1769 and ''C. puniceus'' was described in 1835.
William Colenso identified two species of ''Clianthus'' as early as 1847 and described ''C. maximus'' in 1885. However
Thomas Kirk reduced ''C. maximus'' to a variety of ''C. puniceus'' in 1899. Peter Heenan reinstated ''C. maximus'' as a separate species in 2000.
''Clianthus'' forms a
clade
A clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that are monophyletic – that is, composed of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants – on a phylogenetic tree. Rather than the English term, ...
with the genus ''
Carmichaelia'', New Zealand broom. Together they form a larger
clade
A clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that are monophyletic – that is, composed of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants – on a phylogenetic tree. Rather than the English term, ...
with the
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
n genus ''
Swainsona
''Swainsona'' is a large genus of flowering plants native to Australasia. There are 85 species, all but one of which are endemic to Australia.
A member of the family Fabaceae (legumes), it is most closely related to the New Zealand genera ''Mont ...
'' and the New Zealand ''
Montigena
''Montigena'' is a genus of flowering plant in the legume family (biology), family Fabaceae, comprising a single species of dicotyledonous herb native plant, native to New Zealand, known as ''Montigena novae-zelandiae'' or more commonly the scre ...
'' (scree pea).
, ''Swainsona formosa'', has some similarities to kakabeak and was initially placed in the genus ''Clianthus''. The fourth genus of New Zealand native legumes is ''
Sophora'', represented by eight species of
kowhai.
[Taxonomy of New Zealand Native Legumes](_blank)
Retrieved 7 April 2006.
Kakabeak featured on New Zealand's definitive stamps from 1960 to 1969, initially on the pre-decimal 2
d stamp, and then on its replacement 2
c stamp from 1967.
The floral emblem of South Australia,
''
Swainsona formosa
''Swainsona formosa'', Sturt's desert pea, is an Australian plant in the genus '' Swainsona'', named after English botanist Isaac Swainson, famous for its distinctive blood-red leaf-like flowers, each with a bulbous black centre, or "boss". It ...
'', formerly Clianthus dampieri, is similar.
Gallery
Image:CPuniceusDrawing.jpg, Botanical illustration from Cook's first voyage
Image:Clianthus puniceus2.jpg, Variety with white flowers known as "Albus."
References
External links
*ARKive
images and movies of the Kaka-beak ''(Clianthus puniceus)''
*
*
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2975317
Fabaceae genera
Galegeae
Trees of New Zealand