Pittosporum eugenioides (Lemonwood)
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Photographed in flower at Otari-Wilton’s Bush Reserve Wellington. October.
A stand of very large Pittosporum eugenioides at Otari-Wilton’s Bush Reserve Wellington.
A small tree.
Pittosporum eugenioides male flowers early October.
Male flowers with long stamens and narrow petals. The female flowers have much thicker petals.
Close up of the male flower.
The surface of a leaf.
The undersurface of a leaf.
Pittosporum eugenioides fruit late October.
Mature trunk.
A mature branch.
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Kingdom:
- Angiosperms
- Angiosperms
- Eudicots
- Asterids
- Order: Apiales
- Family: Pittosporaceae
- Genus: Pittosporum
- Species: P. eugenioides
- Binomial name: Pittosporum eugenioides
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Common names:
- Lemonwood
- Tarata
Relatives
- Pittosporum (a form) 'Stephens Island'
- Pittosporum colensoi (Black Mapou)
- Pittosporum cornifolium (Tawhirikaro)
- Pittosporum crassifolium (Karo)
- Pittosporum dallii (Kohuhu)
- Pittosporum divaricatum
- Pittosporum eugenioides (Lemonwood)
- Pittosporum fairchildii (Fairchild's kohuhu)
- Pittosporum huttonianum (Hutton's kohuhu)
- Pittosporum obcordatum (Heart leaved Kohuhu)
- Pittosporum patulum (Pitpat)
- Pittosporum ralphii (Ralph's Kohuhu)
- Pittosporum tenuifolium (Kohuhu)
- Pittosporum turneri (Turner's kohuhu)
- Pittosporum umbellatum (haekaro)
- Pittosporum virgatum
Whilst young a Pittosporum eugenioides has a conical shape that broadens and spreads with age to 20m in height, the largest NZ Pittosporum. The trunk of 60cm is encased in the bark. The small yellow flowers which appear from October to December grow in terminal clusters and have a pleasant smell. The leaves are yellow-green with undulating margins and a lemon scent can be smelt if crushed. Naturally occurring throughout NZ from sea level to 600m.
The Maori used the gum from the bark in complex scent formula along with parts of other plants.