''Prumnopitys taxifolia'', the mataī () or black pine, is an

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

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 ...

conifer Conifers () are a group of conifer cone, cone-bearing Spermatophyte, seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the phylum, division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a sin ...

ous tree that grows on the

North Island The North Island ( , 'the fish of Māui', historically New Ulster) is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but less populous South Island by Cook Strait. With an area of , it is the List ...

and

South Island The South Island ( , 'the waters of Pounamu, Greenstone') is the largest of the three major islands of New Zealand by surface area, the others being the smaller but more populous North Island and Stewart Island. It is bordered to the north by ...

. It also occurs on

Stewart Island / Rakiura Stewart Island (, 'Aurora, glowing skies', officially Stewart Island / Rakiura, formerly New Leinster) is New Zealand's third-largest island, located south of the South Island, across Foveaux Strait. It is a roughly triangular island wit ...

(47 °S) but is uncommon there. It grows up to high, with a trunk up to 2 m diameter. The

leaves A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, ...

are linear to sickle-shaped, 10–15 mm long and 1.5–2 mm broad. The

seed cones A conifer cone, or in formal botanical usage a strobilus, : strobili, is a seed-bearing organ on gymnosperm plants, especially in conifers and cycads. They are usually woody and variously conic, cylindrical, ovoid, to globular, and have scales ...

are highly modified, reduced to a central stem 3–4 cm long bearing 1–6 scales, each scale maturing berry-like, 10–15 mm long, violet-purple with a soft edible pulp covering the single

seed In botany, a seed is a plant structure containing an embryo and stored nutrients in a protective coat called a ''testa''. More generally, the term "seed" means anything that can be Sowing, sown, which may include seed and husk or tuber. Seeds ...

. The seeds are dispersed by the

New Zealand pigeon New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 1 ...

(kererū), which eats the 'berries' and passes the seeds in its

droppings Feces (also known as faeces or fæces; : faex) are the solid or semi-solid remains of food that was not digested in the small intestine, and has been broken down by bacteria in the large intestine. Feces contain a relatively small amount of ...

Classification

The scientific name ''taxifolia'' derives from the resemblance of the leaves to those of the

yew Yew is a common name given to various species of trees. It is most prominently given to any of various coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus '' Taxus'': * European yew or common yew (''Taxus baccata'') * Pacific yew or western yew ('' Taxus ...

(''Taxus''). In the past the species, like the other species of ''

Prumnopitys ''Prumnopitys'' is a genus of conifers belonging to the family Podocarpaceae. It includes three species of densely branched, Plant sexuality, dioecious evergreen trees up to 40 metres in height, native to South America and New Zealand. Etymol ...

'', was often included in ''

Podocarpus ''Podocarpus'' () is a genus of conifers, the most numerous and widely distributed of the podocarp family, the Podocarpaceae. ''Podocarpus'' species are evergreen shrubs or trees, usually from tall, known to reach at times. The cones have ...

''; in this species under the name ''Podocarpus spicatus''. It is distinguished from ''

Prumnopitys ferruginea ''Pectinopitys ferruginea'', commonly known as miro or toromiro, is an evergreen coniferous tree which is endemic to New Zealand. Description It grows up to high, with a trunk up to 1.3 m diameter. The leaves are linear to sickle-shaped, 15� ...

'' (miro) by the shorter, more slender leaves and the globose violet-purple cones.

Juvenile state

Unlike the related miro (''Prumnopitys ferruginea''), mataī has a distinctive and long-lasting juvenile stage. The juvenile is a shrub with a tangle of slender, flexible, divaricating branchlets interspersed with a scattering of brown, pale yellow, or dirty white leaves. After a number of years, the adult tree begins to grow out of the top of the juvenile shrub and then the divaricating branchlets will wither and drop off.

Ecology

Mataī are the

host A host is a person responsible for guests at an event or for providing hospitality during it. Host may also refer to: Places * Host, Pennsylvania, a village in Berks County * Host Island, in the Wilhelm Archipelago, Antarctica People * ...

plant for caterpillars of the New Zealand endemic

moth Moths are a group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not Butterfly, butterflies. They were previously classified as suborder Heterocera, but the group is Paraphyly, paraphyletic with respect to butterflies (s ...

species ''

Pyrgotis zygiana ''Pyrgotis zygiana'' is a species of moth of the family Tortricidae. It is endemic to New Zealand. ''P. zygiana'' was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1882 from a specimen obtained in Canterbury. This species has also been recorded in Titi ...

''. The seeds of this tree also play host to another endemic moth, '' Heterocrossa iophaea''.

Uses

The

timber Lumber is wood that has been processed into uniform and useful sizes (dimensional lumber), including beams and planks or boards. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, window frames). ...

of this tree was used extensively in New Zealand for

flooring Flooring is the general term for a permanent covering of a floor, or for the work of installing such a floor covering. Floor covering is a term to generically describe any finish material applied over a floor structure to provide a walking surface. ...

during the mid-20th century. Mataī is not threatened, although as a forest-type it has been greatly reduced through widespread logging. Very few intact examples of mataī-dominated forest remain.

References

External links

Citizen science observations of mataī
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1127677 taxifolia Trees of New Zealand Trees of mild maritime climate Least concern plants Divaricating plants Endemic flora of New Zealand