Three Kings Kaikōmako facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Three Kings Kaikōmako |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Pennantia
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| Species: |
baylisiana
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The Pennantia baylisiana, also called Three Kings Kaikōmako or Kaikōmako Manawa Tāwhi in Māori, is a very rare plant. It belongs to the Pennantiaceae family. This special tree is found only on the Three Kings Islands in New Zealand. What makes it so unique is that only one wild tree is known to exist!
This single tree grows on a rocky slope on the northern side of Great Island, which is part of the Three Kings group. These islands are off the coast of Cape Reinga, New Zealand. Professor Geoff Baylis from the University of Otago discovered the tree in 1945. Since then, people have worked hard to grow more of these trees from seeds or cuttings, helping to protect this amazing species.
What it Looks Like
The P. baylisiana is a tree with many trunks. In the wild, it can grow up to 5 meters (about 16 feet) tall. However, when people grow it in gardens, it can reach 8 meters (about 26 feet). Its bark is greyish-brown, and its small branches have tiny spots called lenticels. These spots help the plant breathe.
The leaves are tough and green, shaped like an egg. They are about 12-16 cm long and 7-10 cm wide. On the underside of the leaves, near the main veins, there are tiny hairy pockets called domatia. The leaves grow on stalks called petioles, which are about 2.5 cm long.
The tree flowers from October to November. It produces small, greenish-white flowers, about 1.5 mm across. These flowers grow in clusters called panicles at the ends of the branches. Each flower has tiny petals, about 2.6 mm long. Inside the flower, the male parts (called stamens) have a top part (anther) that holds pollen and a stalk (filament). However, the pollen from this tree usually cannot create new seeds. The female part (ovary) is shaped like a cylinder.
Fruits appear from January to April. They are purple when ripe and shaped like an oval, about 10 mm long and 4.5 mm wide. Inside each fruit is a stone, like the pit of a cherry.
Where it Lives
This tree is found only on the Three Kings Islands. This group of islands is about 55 kilometers (34 miles) northwest of the North Island of New Zealand. As mentioned, there is only one wild tree left. It is a female tree that grows on a cliff on the northern side of Great Island.
How it Was Named
The P. baylisiana was first found by a botanist named Geoff Baylis in 1945. He was on a trip to Great Island to study plants.
The first part of the tree's name, Pennantia, honors Thomas Pennant. He was a Welsh zoologist and writer from the 1700s. The second part of the name, baylisiana, is a tribute to Geoff Baylis, the New Zealand botanist who discovered this unique tree.
In Māori Culture
In traditional Māori beliefs, when someone passes away, their wairua (spirit) is thought to travel to the underworld, called rarohenga. Northern Iwi (tribes), like Ngāti Kurī, believe that their spirits travel to Manawatāwhi (Three Kings Islands). The name Manawatāwhi means "last breath" in English. This is because it's believed to be the place where spirits take one final look at Aotearoa (New Zealand) before going into the sea and down to the underworld.
Because P. baylisiana is found only on these islands, it is a very important part of te rerenga wairua, which is the "leaping place of the spirits." Sheridan Waitai, who works for the Ngāti Kuri Trust Board, once said about the plant: "It is part of the fabric of life, every species that disappears is a tear in that fabric, in our histories and our cultures." This shows how deeply connected the plant is to their history and beliefs.
Images for kids
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Foliage
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Flowers unfurling
