''Alseuosmia macrophylla'', the toropapa or karapapa, is a plant
species in the family
Alseuosmiaceae. This is a small evergreen shrub which is
endemic to
New Zealand, along with two closely related species. An example occurrence of ''A. macrophylla'' is in the
North Island
The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by the Cook Strait. The island's area is , making it the world's 14th-largest ...
habitat of the
Hamilton Ecological District, where ''
Blechnum discolor'' and ''
Blechnum filiforme
''Icarus'' is a genus of ferns in the family Blechnaceae, subfamily Blechnoideae, with a single species ''Icarus filiformis'', according to the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I). The genus is accepted in a 2016 classifi ...
'' are understory elements with ''
Nothofagus truncata'' and
rimu overstory
In biology, the canopy is the aboveground portion of a plant cropping or crop, formed by the collection of individual plant crowns.
In forest ecology, canopy also refers to the upper layer or habitat zone, formed by mature tree crowns an ...
. This plant is known for the pleasant scent of its flowers, and its family name translates as "perfumed grove". The small red berries of toropapa are edible and sweet tasting. As a forest
understory plant, toropapa will not tolerate full sunlight or frost, and needs its roots to stay moist and cool, however so long as these conditions are met it is reasonably hardy, and is sometimes cultivated as a garden plant.
[Fiona Eadie. 100 best native plants for New Zealand gardens. p113-115. ]
References
*
Thomas Frederic Cheeseman. 1906. ''Manual of the New Zealand Flora: Published Under the Authority of the Government of New Zealand'', published by J. Mackay, government printer, 1199 pages
* C. Michael Hogan. 2009
''Crown Fern: Blechnum discolor'', Globaltwitcher.com, ed. N. Stromberg
Line notes
Alseuosmiaceae
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