Seasonal Wild Flowers

Latin name

Pittosporium tenuifolium

Other names

Black Matipo

Family

Pittosporaceae

Flowering season

April to May

English distribution

It is thinly scattered around the country and is most

common, in the Southwest, around Greater London

and in some southern coastal areas.

For a map see the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland –

Kuhuru

Habitat

It is a neophyte from New Zealand, which has been grown

in milder parts of the UK since the 1850s and known in the

wild since the 1950s. It spreads by seed and is becoming

more frequent. It is naturalised in hedges, woods, by paths

and in gaps on walls and between paving.

Description

Kuhuru is an evergreen shrub growing up to 10m.

The flowers are dark purple, up to 1cm, and nectar-rich

and sweet smelling in the evening.

There are 5 backwardly curled petals which form a light

pink corolla tube.

The 5 sepals are persistent, hairy and cream.

The 5 stamens have broad red filaments and yellow

anthers.

They are difficult to see unless you move the petals aside.

The stigma is cream coloured and capitate and the style is

thick. The ovary is white and hairy.

The fruit is a capsule up to 12mm and the seeds have a

sticky coating (not shown).

The leaves are up to 7cm with wavy edges. New leaves

are yellow green and they darken to a deeper green in

a few weeks.

The stems are a mixture of green, grey and black.

Kuhuru is used in flower arranging in the UK and has

numerous uses by the Maori in New Zealand.