Tawa (tree)
Encyclopedia
The Tawa tree is a New Zealand
broadleaf tree common in the central parts of the country. Tawa is often the dominant canopy species in lowland forests in the North Island
and the north east of the South Island
, but will also often form the subcanopy in primary forests throughout the country in these areas, beneath podocarps
such as Kahikatea, Matai
, Miro and Rimu
. Individual specimens may grow up to 30 metres or more in height with trunks up to 1.2 metres in diameter, and they have smooth dark bark. The word "tawa" is the Maori
name for the tree.
Tawa trees produce small inconspicuous flower
s followed by 2 - 3.5 cm long fruit
of a dark red plum colour. With such large fruits the Tawa is notable for the fact that it relies solely on the Kererū
(New Zealand Woodpigeon) and, (where present), the North Island Kōkako
for dispersal of its seed. These are the only remaining birds from New Zealand's original biota
large enough to eat the fruits of this tree and pass the seeds through their guts and excrete them unharmed. Tawa can also support significant epiphyte
gardens in their canopies, which are one of the few habitats known to be frequented by the enigmatic, arboreal striped skink
.
This tree gives its name to a northern suburb of Wellington
, Tawa
.
trees in the country with good timber, the wood of this tree can be used for attractive and resilient floorboarding. Although largely protected in conservation areas and by robust environmental legislation, licences are occasionally granted for the odd fallen tree to be milled for its timber.
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...
broadleaf tree common in the central parts of the country. Tawa is often the dominant canopy species in lowland forests in the North Island
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
and the north east of the South Island
South Island
The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...
, but will also often form the subcanopy in primary forests throughout the country in these areas, beneath podocarps
Podocarpaceae
Podocarpaceae is a large family of mainly Southern Hemisphere conifers, comprising about 156 species of evergreen trees and shrubs. It contains 19 genera if Phyllocladus is included and if Manoao and Sundacarpus are recognized....
such as Kahikatea, Matai
Prumnopitys taxifolia
Prumnopitys taxifolia is an endemic New Zealand coniferous tree that grows on the North Island and South Island. It also occurs on Stewart Island/Rakiura but is uncommon there....
, Miro and Rimu
Rimu
Rimu can mean the following:*Dacrydium cupressinum, also rimu, a tree endemic to New Zealand*Rimu, Southland, a locality in Southland, New Zealand*Rimu, West Coast, a locality in the West Coast region of New Zealand...
. Individual specimens may grow up to 30 metres or more in height with trunks up to 1.2 metres in diameter, and they have smooth dark bark. The word "tawa" is the Maori
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 for the tree.
Tawa trees produce small inconspicuous flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s followed by 2 - 3.5 cm long fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
of a dark red plum colour. With such large fruits the Tawa is notable for the fact that it relies solely on the Kererū
Kereru
The New Zealand Pigeon or kererū is a bird endemic to New Zealand. Māori call it Kererū in most of the country but kūkupa and kūkū in some parts of the North Island, particularly in Northland...
(New Zealand Woodpigeon) and, (where present), the North Island Kōkako
Kokako
The Kōkako is a forest bird which is endemic to New Zealand. It is slate-grey with wattles and a black mask. It is one of three species of New Zealand Wattlebird, the other two being the endangered Tieke and the extinct Huia...
for dispersal of its seed. These are the only remaining birds from New Zealand's original biota
Biota (ecology)
Biota are the total collection of organisms of a geographic region or a time period, from local geographic scales and instantaneous temporal scales all the way up to whole-planet and whole-timescale spatiotemporal scales. The biota of the Earth lives in the biosphere.-See...
large enough to eat the fruits of this tree and pass the seeds through their guts and excrete them unharmed. Tawa can also support significant epiphyte
Epiphyte
An epiphyte is a plant that grows upon another plant non-parasitically or sometimes upon some other object , derives its moisture and nutrients from the air and rain and sometimes from debris accumulating around it, and is found in the temperate zone and in the...
gardens in their canopies, which are one of the few habitats known to be frequented by the enigmatic, arboreal striped skink
New Zealand Striped Skink
The New Zealand striped skink, Oligosoma striatum, is a rare species of medium sized skink endemic to New Zealand. The specific epithet means "streaked".The habitat of this species is native forest; they are often found under fallen rotting logs in the bush or under those remaining in pasture after...
.
This tree gives its name to a northern suburb of Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
, Tawa
Tawa, New Zealand
Tawa is the northernmost suburb of Wellington located between Churton Park and Porirua in the North Island of New Zealand. It takes its name from the broadleaf tree, which was once prolific throughout the area, although its most famous tree is the Bucket Tree, a group of large macrocarpa with the...
.
Uses
One of the few hardwoodHardwood
Hardwood is wood from angiosperm trees . It may also be used for those trees themselves: these are usually broad-leaved; in temperate and boreal latitudes they are mostly deciduous, but in tropics and subtropics mostly evergreen.Hardwood contrasts with softwood...
trees in the country with good timber, the wood of this tree can be used for attractive and resilient floorboarding. Although largely protected in conservation areas and by robust environmental legislation, licences are occasionally granted for the odd fallen tree to be milled for its timber.