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''Elingamita'' is a genus in the plant family 
Elingamita877.jpg, ''Elingamita johnsonii'' has large, glossy, dark-green leaves.
Elingamita2757.jpg, The distinctive red fleshy fruits take a year to ripen.
Primulaceae
The Primulaceae , commonly known as the primrose family (but not related to the Onagraceae, evening primrose family), are a family (biology), family of Herbaceous plant, herbaceous and woody flowering plants including some favourite garden plants ...
. It consists of a single species, ''Elingamita johnsonii'', a tree or shrub endemic to the Three Kings Islands
3 is a number, numeral, and glyph.
3, three, or III may also refer to:
* AD 3, the third year of the AD era
* 3 BC, the third year before the AD era
* March, the third month
Books
* ''Three of Them'' (Russian: ', literally, "three"), a 1901 n ...
approximately 55 km north of 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 ...
of New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
. The entire world natural population of the tree is confined to a small rocky island and two nearby islets, and thus is vulnerable to destruction by fire or other unforeseen events. ''Elingamita johnsonii'' grows as a shrub or small tree in pohutukawa
''Metrosideros excelsa'', commonly known as pōhutukawa ( mi, pōhutukawa), New Zealand Christmas tree, New Zealand Christmas bush, and iron tree, is a coastal evergreen tree in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, that produces a brilliant display o ...
(''Metrosideros excelsa'') forest and coastal scrub on West island. It also occurs on two rocky islets of the Princes Group; on one of these islets, Hinemoa Rock, it grows as an emergent canopy tree in exposed places. The relationship of ''Elingamita'' to other genera of the Primulaceae (formerly Myrsinaceae
Myrsinoideae is a subfamily of the family Primulaceae in the order Ericales. It was formerly recognized as the family Myrsinaceae, or the myrsine family, consisting of 35 genera and about 1000 species. It is widespread in temperate to tropical ...
) remains to be properly established. Discovered in 1950, ''Elingamita johnsonii'' takes its name from the steamer ''Elingamite
SS ''Elingamite'' was an Australian passenger steamer of 2,585 tons, built in 1887, and owned by Huddart Parker. The ship was wrecked on 9 November 1902 off the north coast of New Zealand carrying a large consignment of gold. Now the ''Elingami ...
'', which was wrecked on West Island in 1902. The natural range is currently free of rodents, but the fruit is known to be very palatable to rats.
Description
''Elingamita johnsonii'' is a stoutly branched tree up to 8 m tall, but usually much less than that. The bark is grey and smooth. The dark green leaves, 10 to 18 cm long and 4 to 9 cm wide, are smooth with a satin-like gloss. The leaf stems are short, about 1 cm long. The tiny, pale yellow to pink flowers appear in terminal panicles between February and May, and sometimes also between August and November. Male and female flowers generally occur on separate trees. The attractive grape-like bunches of red fruit take a year or more to ripen. Each fruit is a globe-shaped drupe up to 20 mm in diameter which encloses a single seed. While the foliage could be mistaken for that of a Karaka tree (''Corynocarpus laevigatus
Karaka or New Zealand laurel (''Corynocarpus laevigatus'') is an evergreen tree of the family Corynocarpaceae endemic to New Zealand. It is common throughout the North and South Islands to Banks Peninsula (43°45′S) and Okarito (43°20′S) ...
''), the petiole or leaf stalk is much shorter and the bunches of red, fleshy fruit are very distinctive and may be seen on the tree at any time of the year. The fruits are edible, the white flesh tasting like a salty apple.
Propagation
The plant is sometimes available for sale by specialist nurseries. Propagation is easy from seed although it may take a year to germinate. Seedlings are vigorous and thrive in semi-shade and prefer a fertile, free draining soil. Once they are established, plants do well in full sun. Cuttings are slow to strike. Male and female plants are required for the production of fruit to ensure that fruit are produced. In gardens, ''Elingamita johnsonii'' makes an excellent specimen tree for frost-free areas. It is highly sensitive to cold and intolerant of frost.References
* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q2354189 Trees of New Zealand Flora of the North Island Three Kings Islands Primulaceae Monotypic Ericales genera Primulaceae genera Vulnerable plants