Peraxilla colensoi, Scarlet Mistletoe, korukoru, pirita, roeroe
The first example of Peraxilla colensoi, Scarlet Mistletoe, was photographed in The Catlins area in February 2019. It grows naturally in the lower altitudes (up to 500 m) in the North and South Islands, from Mt Te Aroha to Southland. All flowers were open so difficult to see what it is like in bud. The last two images are of it leaves which are wider and rounder and not blistered as in Peraxillia tetrapetala, red mistletoe.
The second example was photographed in November 2021 in Tuatapere. No flowers but plenty of green buds.
All Mistletoe's are parasitic plants with seed attaching themselves to is preferred host plant. The fruit when ripe is yellow and readily eaten by birds which then excrete the seeds and hopefully the land on a branch or fork and take hold through their adaptive sucker like roots called haustoria.
Its preferred host plant is Lophozonia menziesii, silver beech but has been recorded on 16 other species.
The flowers are spectacular when fully out and often the petals litter the ground beneath the larger plants. The flowers are pollinated by the Tui (Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae) and the bellbird (Anthonis melanura). The flower buds are unable to open themselves. They only open when nectar feeding birds give the top of the flower a twist. It then immediately opens and then the bird drinks the nectar inside and fertilises the flower.
All mistletoe are subject to various amounts of heavy browsing by possums. In areas where trapping and use of poisons has controlled possum numbers Mistletoe has come back slowly.
Named after William Colenso (1811 - 1899) who was brought to New Zealand by the Christian Missionary Society as a printer. He later became a Christian missionary and botanist, explorer and later a politician.
The second example was photographed in November 2021 in Tuatapere. No flowers but plenty of green buds.
All Mistletoe's are parasitic plants with seed attaching themselves to is preferred host plant. The fruit when ripe is yellow and readily eaten by birds which then excrete the seeds and hopefully the land on a branch or fork and take hold through their adaptive sucker like roots called haustoria.
Its preferred host plant is Lophozonia menziesii, silver beech but has been recorded on 16 other species.
The flowers are spectacular when fully out and often the petals litter the ground beneath the larger plants. The flowers are pollinated by the Tui (Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae) and the bellbird (Anthonis melanura). The flower buds are unable to open themselves. They only open when nectar feeding birds give the top of the flower a twist. It then immediately opens and then the bird drinks the nectar inside and fertilises the flower.
All mistletoe are subject to various amounts of heavy browsing by possums. In areas where trapping and use of poisons has controlled possum numbers Mistletoe has come back slowly.
Named after William Colenso (1811 - 1899) who was brought to New Zealand by the Christian Missionary Society as a printer. He later became a Christian missionary and botanist, explorer and later a politician.