Putaputawētā
A tree with two descriptive names: Māori call it putaputawētā, meaning many, many wētās, while in English it's known as marbleleaf.
More about this tree
- Putaputawētā is a small, spreading tree in coastal to montane forest throughout New Zealand.
- It has rough, greyish bark, and small, white flowers in spring. The fruit is a black seed capsule that occurs in summer and is distributed by birds.
- One tree contains both male and female reproductive parts.
- Its leaves are a marbled light and darker green.
- Its juvenile form has zigzagging branches.
- The tree is called putaputawētā because of the number of wētā that live in holes created by pūriri moth larvae. It's also a host to the small brown bush ant, which feeds on the wound left by the moth larvae.
top