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Forest Vines to Snow Tussocks: The Story of New Zealand Plants

Cauliflory

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Cauliflory

A strange habit of some tropical trees is the production of flowers directly on the trunks and/or branches, a phenomenon known as cauliflory. The most notable New Zealand example of this is kohekohe page break
Figure 9 (above right) Plank buttresses of pukatea (Laurelia novae-zelandiae). Photo: F. B. Sampson.

Figure 9 (above right) Plank buttresses of pukatea (Laurelia novae-zelandiae). Photo: F. B. Sampson.

Figure 10 (above far right) Pneumatophore of pukatea (Laurelia novae-zelandiae). Photo: M. D. King.

Figure 10 (above far right) Pneumatophore of pukatea (Laurelia novae-zelandiae). Photo: M. D. King.

Figure 11 (below right) Pneumatophore of pukatea (Laurelia novae-zelandiae) showing the junction between the two sides of the original loop root. Nga Manu Reserve, Waikanae, southern North Island.Photo: J. E. Casey.

Figure 11 (below right) Pneumatophore of pukatea (Laurelia novae-zelandiae) showing the junction between the two sides of the original loop root. Nga Manu Reserve, Waikanae, southern North Island.
Photo: J. E. Casey.

Figure 13 (below far right) Pneumatophores of mangrove (Avicennia resinifera). Near Kaeo, northern North Island. Photo: J. W. Dawson.

Figure 13 (below far right) Pneumatophores of mangrove (Avicennia resinifera). Near Kaeo, northern North Island. Photo: J. W. Dawson.

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Figure 14 (above left) Roots of swamp maire (Syzygium maire). The arrow indicates the space below the base of the trunk where the primary root failed to develop. Nga Manu Reserve, Waikanae, near Wellington, southern North Island.Photo: J. E. Casey.

Figure 14 (above left) Roots of swamp maire (Syzygium maire). The arrow indicates the space below the base of the trunk where the primary root failed to develop. Nga Manu Reserve, Waikanae, near Wellington, southern North Island.
Photo: J. E. Casey.

Figure 15 (below far left) Aerial roots of pohutukawa (Metrosideros excelsa).Photo: J. W. Dawson.

Figure 15 (below far left) Aerial roots of pohutukawa (Metrosideros excelsa).
Photo: J. W. Dawson.

Figure 16 (below left) Inflorescence arising directly from the trunk of kohekohe (Dysoxylum spectabile). Photo: M. D. King.

Figure 16 (below left) Inflorescence arising directly from the trunk of kohekohe (Dysoxylum spectabile). Photo: M. D. King.

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Figure 17 Ramiflory. Female flowers of mahoe (Melicytus ramiflorus) borne on woody twigs.Photo: M. D. King.

Figure 17 Ramiflory. Female flowers of mahoe (Melicytus ramiflorus) borne on woody twigs.
Photo: M. D. King.

(Dysoxylum spectabile) where the sprays of orange-blossom-like flowers may be produced directly on the trunks (Fig. 16) as well as on the major branches.

The flowers of the tree fuchsia (Fuchsia excorticata) are mostly produced towards the ends of woody branches, but sometimes appear directly on the trunk.

Two rare species on the Three Kings Islands, Tecomanthe speciosa and Pennantia baylisiana are also cauliflorous.

In the species of Myrsine, Melicytus (Fig. 17) the liane Metrosideros diffusa and M. parkinsonii, the flowers arise on woody twigs towards the tips of branches, a less extreme condition often known as ramiflory.

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