Raukaua
Encyclopedia
Raukaua is a genus
of flowering plant
of family Araliaceae
. It includes 8 species, most of which are endemic
to New Zealand
. However, some authorities include two species endemic to Southern Chile
and Argentina
in Raukaua, namely R. laetevirens
, a small tree, and R. valdiviensis, a woody vine from Valdivian temperate rain forests
.
The genus name derives from R. edgerleyi (Māori
name "Raukawa") the leaves of which are used by the Māori to produce a scented oil.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of flowering plant
Flowering plant
The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
of family Araliaceae
Araliaceae
Araliaceae is a family of flowering plants, also known as the Aralia family or Ivy family. The family includes 254 species of trees, shrubs, lianas and perennial herbaceous plants into 2 subfamilies...
. It includes 8 species, most of which are endemic
Endemic (ecology)
Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. For example, all species of lemur are endemic to the...
to 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...
. However, some authorities include two species endemic to Southern Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
and Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
in Raukaua, namely R. laetevirens
Raukaua laetevirens
Raukaua laetevirens known as traumen and sauco del diablo is a species of plant native to Chile and adjacent parts of Argentina in the Araliaceae family. It occurs from Maule to Punta Arenas...
, a small tree, and R. valdiviensis, a woody vine from Valdivian temperate rain forests
Valdivian temperate rain forests
The Valdivian temperate rain forests are a temperate broadleaf and mixed-forest ecoregion located on the west coast of southern South America, lying mostly in Chile and extending into a small part of Argentina. It is part of the Neotropic ecozone. The forests are named after the city of Valdivia...
.
The genus name derives from R. edgerleyi (Māori
Maori language
Māori or te reo Māori , commonly te reo , is the language of the indigenous population of New Zealand, the Māori. It has the status of an official language in New Zealand...
name "Raukawa") the leaves of which are used by the Māori to produce a scented oil.