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NZ Plants

Colensoa physaloides - koru

Bellflower family: Campanulaceae

Colensoa physaloides is an attractive fleshy, herbaceous shrub with bright green glossy leaves and purple tubular flowers. Once widely distributed in coastal and lowland forests but now only common on offshore islands such as the Three Kings and Poor Knights.
Named after William Colenso (1811-1899), Cornish Christian missionary to New Zealand, printer, botanist, explorer and politician.
An endemic genus with one species.
 

Vegetative characteristics

Reproductive characteristics

Plant form:  perennial herb up to 1 m

Arrangement of parts:: asymmetric
 

Flower size: 10 mm diam. x 30-50 mm long

Leaf form: undivided, broad-oval

Sepals: 5

Leaf size: up to 10 cm

Petals: 5, dark blue-violet

Leaf arrangement: singly along stem

Sexuality: bisexual

Leaf attachment:

Staments: 5

Leaf margin: toothed

Ovary: below petals

Leaf surface: hairs sparse

Fruit: fleshy


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