Flowering seed plants: North and South Islands

 

Ewekuri, tūrepo, milk trees

Streblus
Mulberry, fig family: Moraceae
Trees and shrubs with copious milky juice, stipules (small, scale- or leaf-like appendages) and usually alternate leaves. The flowers are small and unisexual with 4 tepals (sepals and petals of similar appearance); the fruit is dry (achene) or fleshy (drupe). A large subtropical and tropical family with one genus in New Zealand; all three species are endemic and were previously placed in Paratrophis.
Northern off-shore islands: Streblus smithii


Tūrepo, small-leaved milk tree, Streblus heterophyllus - A tree reaching 12 m with 1-2 cm long obovate, toothed leaves with prominent veins. Found in forest throughout New Zealand. Formerly Paratrophis microphylla.
(photo, Iain MacDonald)

streb_het_male13(400).jpg
Tūrepo, male flowers - Trees with male flowers form 2-5 cm long spikes with densely packed flowers. The coiled stalks (filaments) of the stamens sit within the cup-shaped tepals in the unopened flower (lowermost). When the flower opens (upper flower) the filaments uncoil positioning the pollen-containing anthers outside of the flower. A rudimentary ovary is in the centre of each flower.
(photo, Larry Jensen)


Tūrepo, flowering branch - Trees bearing female flowers form 1-2 cm long spikes with circular (peltate) scales and sparsely arranged flowers. (photo, Iain MacDonald)


Tūrepo, female flower - The tepals are covered with hairs and enclose a swollen ovary. The style has two conspicuous 0.5-1 mm long feathery branches that catch air-borne pollen.
(photo, Iain MacDonald)


Ewekuri, large-leaved milk tree, Streblus banksii -
A tree up to 12 m bearing 4-9 cm long prominently net-veined leaves with toothed margins. The small flowers are arranged into spikes up to 3 cm long. Found throughout New Zealand. (photo, Iain MacDonald)


Ewekuri, male flowers - Flowers are 1-2 mm across with four tetals that clasp the bases of the stamen filaments. The four stamens are short and inwardly bent over in the unopened flower (two flowers on the right) and which then straighten and spread outward as the flower opens (flower on the left).
(photo, Iain MacDonald)

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Ewekuri, female flowers - Tepals enclose the swollen ovary with its two stigmas above. The stem bearing the flowers also has numerous circular scales. photo, Larry Jensen)

strebl_bank_frt2(400).jpg
Ewekuri, developing fruit - During fruit development the ovary expands and extends above the persistant tepals
(photo, Iain MacDonald)

strebl_bank_frt3b_im.jpg



Ewekuri, mature fruit - When mature, the fleshy fruit (drupe) turns a bright red-orange. It is ovoid and 6.5 mm in diameter and attractive to birds.

(photo, Iain MacDonald)





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