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Macquarie Island cabbage facts for kids

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Macquarie Island cabbage
Stilbocarpa polaris.jpg
Stilbocarpa polaris on Campbell Island
Scientific classification
Genus:
Stilbocarpa
Species:
polaris
Synonyms
  • Aralia polaris

Stilbocarpa polaris, commonly known as the Macquarie Island cabbage, is a species of flowering plant usually placed in the family Araliaceae. It is a megaherb, growing up to about a metre in height, native to the subantarctic islands of New Zealand and to Australia’s Macquarie Island.

Uses

S. polaris was used as a food source and a scurvy preventative by early explorers and sealers.

Conservation status

It is classified as "At Risk - Naturally Uncommon" in the New Zealand threatened plants classification system. On Macquarie Island, it was threatened by introduced black rats and European rabbits, until their eradication in 2011.

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