Prumnopitys ferruginea: Difference between revisions

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| status = LR/lc LC
| status_system = IUCN2IUCN3.31

'''''Prumnopitys ferruginea''''', commonly called '''miro''', is an [[evergreen]] [[Pinophyta|coniferous]] [[tree]] which is [[endemic (ecology)|endemic]] to [[New Zealand]]. Before the genus ''[[Prumnopitys]]'' was distinguished, it was treated in the related genus ''[[Podocarpus]]'' as ''Podocarpus ferrugineus''.

It grows up to 25 m high, with a trunk up to 1.3 m diameter. The [[leaf|leaves]] are linear to sickle-shaped, 15–25&nbsp;mm long and 2–3&nbsp;mm broad, with downcurved margins. The plants are [[plant sexuality|dioecious]] with pollen cones being solitary while those of female plants hang from a curved, scaly stalk. The [[conifer cone|seed cones]] are highly modified, reduced to a central stem 2–3&nbsp;cm long bearing 1-3 scales, each scale maturing berry-like, oval, about 20&nbsp;mm long and 10–15&nbsp;mm broad, red to purple-red with a soft edible pulp covering the single [[seed]]. The seeds are dispersed by the [[Kererū]] (New Zealand [[Pigeonpigeon]]), which eats the very conspicuous 'berries' and passes the seeds in its droppings. It is found growing on both lowland terrain and on hill slopes throughout the two main islands as well as on [[Stewart Island / Rakiura]] (47° S).<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|url=https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q63848025|title=Eagle's complete trees and shrubs of New Zealand volume one|last=Eagle|first=Audrey|publisher=Te Papa Press|year=2008|isbn=9780909010089|location=Wellington|pages=4|language=English}}</ref> Miro can live for at least 600 years.<ref name=":0" />

The scientific name ''ferruginea'' derives from the rusty colour of dried [[herbarium]] specimens of the leaves. The [[Māori language|Māori]] name ''miro'' comes from the [[Proto-Polynesian language|Proto-Polynesian]] word ''milo'' which refers to the [[Pacific rosewood]] (''Thespesia populnea'') in tropical islands far north.<ref>{{cite web|title=Miro|work=Te Māra Reo: The Language Garden|year=2023|publisher=Benton Family Trust|url=https://www.temarareo.org/TMR-Miro.html|access-date=June 17, 2023}}</ref>

==Distinguishing Miromiro from Mataīmataī==

Miro is distinguished from the related, and (initially)sometimes very similar looking [[Prumnopitys taxifolia|mataī]] (''Prumnopitys taxifolia'') in four aspects of its anatomy; its cones, bark, seeds and leaves.

*Miro trees have longer, broader leaves with green undersides while those of mataī leaves are white. In addition, the leaves of miro generally narrow to a point, whereas those of mataī are rounded, sometimes with a small point right at the very tip. Fine, flat, feathery foliage.

*Like mataīmatai, the bark of more mature miro trees flakes off to leave a distinctive "hammer mark pattern", but unlike mataī, the pattern is not as pronounced nor as colourful (areas from which bark flakes have recently fallen in mataī often have a striking red colour that fades over time back to brown). these leaves take up to 3 years to decompose.

*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060225093722/http://www.conifers.org/po/pr/ferruginea.htm Gymnosperm Database: ''Prumnopitys ferruginea'']

*[https://web.archive.org/web/20041231172813/http://www.orongorongo.wellington.net.nz/miro.htm Photos of tree and foliage with cones]