''Tecomanthe speciosa'' (also known as the Three Kings vine or akapukaea) is a species of subtropical forest lianes. A single specimen was first discovered on
Manawatāwhi / Three Kings Islands
The Manawatāwhi / Three Kings Islands (sometimes just known collectively by the Māori name for the largest island, Manawatāwhi) are a group of 13 uninhabited islands about northwest of Cape Reinga / Te Rerenga Wairua, New Zealand, where th ...
, 55 km off the northern tip 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 ...
, during a scientific survey in 1945.
No other specimens have ever been found in the wild. ''
Tecomanthe'' is a tropical genus not otherwise represented in New Zealand. Four other species of ''Tecomanthe'' occur in
Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, established_ ...
,
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
,
New Guinea
New Guinea (; Hiri Motu
Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New Guinea, which is spoken in surrounding areas of Port Moresby (Capital of Papua New Guinea).
It is a simplified version of ...
, and the
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and north-west of Vanuatu. It has a land area of , and a population of approx. 700,000. Its capita ...
.
Description
''Tecomanthe speciosa'' is a vigorous twining climber growing up to 10m in height.
The glossy, thick compound leaves consist of up to five leaflets.
In autumn or early winter it bears long cream-coloured tubular
flowers
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...
that emerge directly from the stem in large clusters.
The flowers appear to be adapted to be pollinated by
bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera.''cheir'', "hand" and πτερόν''pteron'', "wing". With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most bi ...
s, despite the fact that bats are not part of the present-day
fauna
Fauna is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is ''flora'', and for fungi, it is '' funga''. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively referred to as '' biota''. Zoo ...
of the Three Kings Islands (though they may once have been present).
Nevertheless, the flowers of plants growing in cultivation are readily pollinated by a large number of native and exotic birds. While a subtropical plant, ''Tecomanthe speciosa'' is able to survive at temperatures as low as -2°C, meaning domestic plants growing as south as
Dunedin
Dunedin ( ; mi, Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from , the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Th ...
have been noted as surviving.
![Tecomanthe Speciosa Seed Pod](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6f/Tecomanthe_Speciosa_Seed_Pod.jpg)
It has not yet been formally assessed for the
IUCN Red List
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biol ...
, but a preliminary assessment of the conservation status of all New Zealand vascular plants found ''T. speciosa'' to be "Nationally Critical".
Discovery and cultivation
''Tecomanthe speciosa'' may once have been common on the Three Kings. By the time of its discovery,
goat
The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a domesticated species of goat-antelope typically kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the a ...
s that had been introduced to the islands had reduced the entire population to a single specimen on Great Island, making it one of the world's most endangered plants. The remaining specimen grew on a cliff that was too steep for the goats to reach. The original specimen still grows in the wild, and has developed more vines through the natural process of layering in the years since its discovery.
While the original plant was saved from destruction by the eradication of goats from the island, the rapid regeneration of the surrounding forest has limited the amount of sunlight the plant receives.
The plant was last documented fully flowering in 1946, but did not flower for the remainder of the 20th century. Light flowering was documented in the early 21st century.
After discovery of the single plant in 1945, cuttings were taken from the original plant. After a decade, the plants raised by the horticulturists finally set seed, and ''Tecomanthe speciosa'' has subsequently become popular in New Zealand gardens as a vigorous climber of tropical appearance.
The plant requires warm conditions, and is very sensitive to frost, suffering damage if the temperature drops below -2°C. It is readily grown from cuttings, layering and from seed. Seed must be sown fresh and should germinate within two weeks. The seedlings grow vigorously, and may flower within two or three years. Plants grown from cuttings may take up to five years or longer to flower.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q7692779
Bignoniaceae
Flora of the North Island
Endangered flora of New Zealand
Three Kings Islands
Plants described in 1948
Taxa named by Walter Oliver
Endlings