Libocedrus plumosa < Species index > Lophozonia menziesii
This article was first published in the Tararua Tramper Volume 94, # 2, March 2022
March in the hills with Michele Dickson, Chris Horne
Lophoyrtus bullata, Ramarama,
Photo: Jeremy Rolfe
Origin of the botanical names
‘Lophomyrtus’ is derived from the Greek words for myrtle tree and crested or tufted; ‘bullata’ comes from the Latin word ‘bulla’ for ‘bubble’ meaning blistered or puckered, referring to the leaf surface. Ramarama in te reo Māori means gleaming. Ramarama is one of the two New Zealand members of the Lophomyrtus genus, previously described in the genus Myrtus. These genera are in the family Myrtaceae which also includes mānuka, rātā, pōhutukawa, maire tawake and other closely related species in Aotearoa, all at risk from myrtle rust disease.
Distribution and habitat
Ramarama is endemic to Aotearoa. It grows on the margins of coastal and lowland forests on Te Ika a Māui / North Island and on Te Waipounamu / South Island in Nelson and Marlborough near the sea. It can be a conspicuous component of the understorey of lowland podocarp riparian forest.
Growth habit
Ramarama is a shrub up to 8 m or more tall with slender divaricating, finely hairy branchlets and young leaves. The trunk is up to 20 cm in diameter with reddish, fibrous, flaking bark. Branchlets are initially 4-angled, becoming terete with age. The leaves are in opposite pairs on petioles 2 – 5 mm long; the leaf blades are 15 – 50 x 10 – 20 mm, slightly leathery and orbicular in shape. The shiny leaf surface has raised blisters between the veins. The upper side is dark green to yellow green, mottled and/or spotted with red, maroon or purple-black circular blemishes, the underside pink or red-tinged.
Reproduction
The white flowers are solitary, borne in the leaf axils, and are about 12 mm in diameter, on hairy stalks about 2 cm long. Each has four petals and a brush of numerous stamens, bunched loosely in four weakly defined whorls. The fruit is a broadly ovoid, dark red or black berry, 6-8 mm long. The seeds are numerous, kidney shaped, 2.7 - 5.5 mm diameter, glossy and very hard. Seed coats are dark brown. Flowering is from November to March and fruits develop from January onwards, taking a year to mature. Birds eat the fruits and spread the seeds.
Uses
Ramarama berries have been a food source in the traditional Māori diet. The ripe berries contain anthocyanins as dark pigments, which play a role not only in reproduction, by attracting pollinators and seed dispersers, but also in protection against various abiotic and biotic stresses. The tough wood was used for digging sticks and axe and chisel handles. Ramarama is cultivated as an attractive garden plant and florists use the leaves.
Where can you find ramarama?
East Harbour Regional Park, South Karori Rd, Burrows Avenue Reserve, Hawkins Hill, Horoeka Reserve in Stokes Valley, Huntleigh Park Reserve, Khandallah Park, Ōtari-Wilton’s Bush, Te Ahumairangi-Tinakori Hill and in the Remutaka, Akatarawa and Tararua ranges.
Hybridisation
Ramarama hybridises with rōhutu (Lophomyrtus obcordata). The resultant hybrid, often named Lophomyrtus x ralphii in horticulture, was once thought to be a separate species.
In The Hills 2022-02 < Index chronological > In The Hills 2022-04