Pseudowintera axillaris facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pseudowintera axillaris
Scientific classification
Genus:	Pseudowintera
Species:	axillaris

The Lowland Horopito (Pseudowintera axillaris) is a special shrub-like tree found only in New Zealand. It belongs to the Winteraceae family. This plant is known for its shiny green leaves and a slightly peppery taste.

About the Lowland Horopito

The Lowland Horopito (Pseudowintera axillaris) is one of four types of Winteraceae plants that grow only in New Zealand. It has many features that help tell it apart from other plants in its family.

What it Looks Like

This small, shrub-like tree can grow up to 8 meters (about 26 feet) tall. Its trunk can be up to 10 centimeters (about 4 inches) wide. It likes damp, cool, and shady spots in New Zealand's forests. You can find it in the North Island and the northern parts of the South Island.

Its leaves are dark green and have a natural waxy shine. The underside of the leaves looks pale or slightly bluish-green, but not white. The main vein on the leaf is also pale. The edges of the leaves are smooth. Unlike many other plants, the Lowland Horopito usually doesn't have red or brown spots on its leaves.

Adult leaves can be 6–10 cm long and 3–6 cm wide. They have red leaf stalks and yellowish main veins. Young leaves have cool, white, net-like veins on their top surface.

Its Peppery Taste

One interesting thing about the Lowland Horopito is its peppery taste when you chew it. Another plant, P. colorata, is very spicy, like a chili. But the P. axillaris has a mild, pleasant peppery taste. This taste helps keep plant-eating insects away.

Branches, Flowers, and Fruits

The branches of the P. axillaris are very dark red to black. The smaller branches near the leaves usually become even blacker. This plant is considered a very old type of flowering plant. It's one of the more common Pseudowintera species, after P. colorata.

Its flowers are small, about 10mm across. They are greenish-yellow and grow in clusters where the leaves meet the stem, or where old leaves have fallen off. Each flower has 4-7 petals. The petals are about 5-6mm long. The plant also produces small, round berries. These berries are 5-6mm wide and turn orange to red when they are ripe. Each berry can have 3-6 seeds.

Where the Lowland Horopito Lives

New Zealand Home

The Pseudowintera axillaris is found only in New Zealand. While other plants in the Winteraceae family live in places like Southern North America and temperate Asia, the Lowland Horopito is unique to New Zealand.

You can commonly find the Lowland Horopito in both the North and South Islands. It grows in lowland and lower montane forests. Its range stretches from Kaitaia in the north down to the Marlborough Sounds and the northwest of the South Island. It's quite common just south of Auckland, especially in the Waitakere region.

The P. colorata and P. axillaris are very similar and often grow in the same areas. They get along well because they prefer slightly different conditions. The P. axillaris loves shady, damp spots in lowland forests. The P. colorata prefers brighter areas, often found at the edges of these forests. This helps them avoid competing for the same resources.

Its Favorite Places to Grow

The Lowland Horopito likes colder and shadier places. It thrives where taller trees grow and provide lots of shade. New Zealand forests are known for their rich, nutrient-filled soils. The P. axillaris has learned to live well in these conditions.

It does well where other tall plants grow because fallen branches, leaves, and twigs from these bigger trees add nutrients to the soil. This creates a rich layer called humus. Humus is dark, organic material that forms in soil from decaying plants and animals. This layer gives the P. axillaris a strong base of nutrients and a steady water supply, as the shade keeps the soil damp.

Life Cycle and Reproduction

How it Grows and Reproduces

The Lowland Horopito flowers from spring (September) to early summer (December). Its fruits ripen to red from late spring (October to January) and stay on the plant until winter (June).

Studies show that this plant's pollination system can change. It relies on tiny insects like Thrips obscuratus and small flies to carry pollen. Wind also helps spread pollen.

Pseudowintera axillaris flowers stay open for 7–11 days. In the early days of flowering, they release a small amount of nectar. In the last days, the pollen is released. When a thrips insect finishes feeding on one flower, it often crawls to another on the same plant. This way, it visits both flowers with nectar and flowers with pollen, helping with pollination.

However, insect visits are not very common. Isolated plants produce very few fruits, and those fruits have few seeds. The Pseudowintera genus, including P. axillaris, often has a high rate of self-sterility. This means the plant has trouble producing seeds if it pollinates itself. It usually needs pollen from a different plant to create healthy seeds.

What Eats It and What it Needs

How it Gets Nutrients

The Lowland Horopito likes cold, dark, and damp places. So, it's found often in New Zealand's native lowland forests. New Zealand forests are special because natural processes like volcanism, erosion, and flooding help create rich soil. This soil provides a stable home for over 80% of New Zealand's native vascular plants. Many of these plants are found only in New Zealand because they have adapted to these specific environments.

Since P. axillaris prefers shady places, it relies more on good soil and water to survive and reproduce. Even with less sunlight, it can still perform photosynthesis at lower rates thanks to nutrient-rich soil, water, and its ability to tolerate shade. The most important nutrients for plant growth are Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K). Soil rich in nitrogen is often found where things like decaying plants and animal waste are present. This is why the humus layer in lowland forests provides such a strong, nutrient-filled base for plants that love shade.

Who are its Predators?

The Pseudowintera species are not endangered. This is because plant-eating animals and insects don't like their strong, peppery taste. Both P. colorata and P. axillaris have this strong taste.

However, some common animals can harm New Zealand's native plants. For example, possums are a big problem in New Zealand. They eat and damage forests by eating leaves, buds, and fruits. They also scratch tree bark and break small branches.

Large shrub epiphytes are common invasive plants in New Zealand's Lowland Forests. An epiphyte is a plant that grows on another plant. Griselinia lucida is a common large shrub epiphyte. While these epiphytes usually grow on bigger trees, their biggest threat to the Lowland Horopito is their large roots. These roots can take over the water supply and soil nutrients, harming the plants around them.

A common parasite found in North Island forests is Dactylanthus taylorii, also known as Pua Reinga (Flower of the Underworld). This plant likes smaller trees, like the Lowland Horopito. The root of a Dactylanthus seed attaches to a host tree's root. It then grows into a tube-like structure that surrounds the host root, taking its nutrients.

Because P. axillaris prefers cold, damp places, it often competes with fungi. To deal with this, the Winteraceae family has developed a strong defense. They produce a compound called Sesquiterpene Dialdehyde polygodial. This compound has many uses, including anti-fungal properties.

Many insects also use the Pseudowintera as a host plant. Here are some examples:

Other Uses of Horopito

Medicinal Uses

The Lowland Horopito was first used by Māori cultures for its healing properties. They made a special liquid from the leaves to help with stomach aches and skin problems. They would bruise the leaves and soak them in water, then apply this to the skin. Drinking a liquid made from the leaves was known as ‘Maori painkiller’ or ‘bushman's painkiller’ for stomach aches. Chewed leaves were used for toothaches.

Early European settlers also used the bark as a substitute for quinine (a medicine) and the sap to help with skin diseases. They took Horopito internally for pain relief, to fight germs, and as a quinine substitute for long-lasting diarrhea and stomach pain. It was also traditionally used for colds, flus, chest infections, and asthma.

More recently, Horopito has been used for its antifungal properties. It helps treat bacterial and fungal infections, like Candida albicans. The P. axillaris in particular has higher levels of paxidal. Paxidal is a medical ingredient used for headaches, toothaches, joint pain, and period cramps.

Cultural Uses

The dark-red wood from Pseudowintera species has also been used by woodworkers. They use it for decorative items like carvings and inlaying (decorating surfaces with pieces of different materials).

See also

In Spanish: Horopito de tierras bajas para niños