''Pennantia'' is the sole

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

in the plant

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Pennantiaceae. In older classifications, it was placed in the family

Icacinaceae The Icacinaceae, also called the white pear family, are a family of flowering plants,"Icacinaceae" At: Angiosperm Phylogeny Website At: Missouri Botanical Garden Website (see ''External links'' below). consisting of trees, shrubs, and lianas, pri ...

. Most authorities have recognised three or four

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

, depending on whether they recognised '' Pennantia baylisiana'' as a separate species from '' Pennantia endlicheri''. British-born botanist

David Mabberley Professor David John Mabberley , (born May 1948) is a British-born botanist, educator and writer. Among his varied scientific interests is the taxonomy of tropical plants, especially trees of the families Labiatae, Meliaceae and Rutaceae. ...

has recognised two species. The species are small to medium, sometimes multi-trunked trees. Leaves are alternate, leathery, and with entire or sometimes toothed margins. Inflorescences are terminal and flowers are functionally unisexual; the species are more or less dioecious. ''Pennantia'' species grow naturally in

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 ...

, Norfolk Island, and eastern Australia. In Australia, '' P. cunninghamii'' grows across a broad latitudinal natural range (nearly ), from the south coast of

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

northwards through to north eastern

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 , establishe ...

. The genus name, ''Pennantia'', is in honor of

Thomas Pennant Thomas Pennant (14 June OS 172616 December 1798) was a Welsh naturalist, traveller, writer and antiquarian. He was born and lived his whole life at his family estate, Downing Hall near Whitford, Flintshire, in Wales. As a naturalist he h ...

, an 18th century Welsh zoologist and author.

Species

The following four species were recognised by New Zealand botanists Rhys O. Gardner and Peter J. de Lange in 2002. * '' Pennantia baylisiana'', –

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 190 ...

* '' Pennantia corymbosa'' , 'kaikōmako' – New Zealand * '' Pennantia cunninghamii'' , 'brown beech' – NSW, Qld, Australia * '' Pennantia endlicheri'' – Norfolk Island

References

External links

Missouri Botanical Garden Website−Mobot.org: Pennantiaceae + ''Pennantia''
Pennantiaceae Apiales genera Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Dioecious plants {{Apiales-stub