Back to homepage
Questions? AskAuckland
  

Please select root levels for the menu

NZ Plants

Phyllocladus toatoa - toatoa

Celery pine family: Phyllocladaceae

  • Mature foliage consists of phyllocades.

    L Jensen

    View picture

  • Phylloclades are in whorls

    L Jensen

    View picture

  • Each phylloclade consists of numerous segments in two rows along a central axis with a terminal bud.

    I MacDonald

    View picture

  • New whorls of phylloclades are formed at the tip of the stem.

    L Jensen

    View picture

  • Stem tip with whorl of young phylloclades.

    L Jensen

    View picture

  • The young stem bears small scale leaves.

    L Jensen

    View picture

  • Growing tip of phylloclade wilth immature phylloclade segments

    L Jensen

    View picture

  • A phylloclade segment consists of numerous flattened branchlets (dark green) joined together

    L Jensen

    View picture

  • Immature phylloclade margin with numerous curved scales

    L Jensen

    View picture

  • Phylloclade margin, each curved scale covers a shoot apex with leaf promordia to either side .

    L Jensen

    View picture

  • Phylloclades with pollen cones

    L Jensen

    View picture

  • Pollen Cone

    I MacDonald

    View picture

  • Pollen cone scales

    L Jensen

    View picture

  • Phylloclade with ovule cones

    L Jensen

    View picture

  • Ovule cone with ovules projecting from between fleshy scales.

    L Jensen

    View picture

  • Ovule micropyle pore

    L Jensen

    View picture

  • Mature ovule cones. Each seed is subtended by reddish fleshy scales.

    J Braggins

    View picture

  • Ovule cone with fleshy bracts around a seed with a basal white aril.

    J Braggins

    View picture

Phyllocladus toatoa is a small tree with distinctly whorled branches. Seedling plants have narrow, flattened needle-like leaves. Adult plants have flattened photosynthetic leaf-like stems (phylloclades).  Phylloclades are in distinct whorls and are divided into broad, blue-green leathery segments arranged in two rows along the phylloclade axis. Minute scale-like leaves are formed on segment margins. Small, fleshy cones are formed. Formerly known as Phyllocladus glaucus.

An endemic species in lowland and lower mountain forest from the central North Island northwards.

More on toatoa: Takana Newsletter

 

Vegetative characteristics

Reproductive characteristics

Adult plant form: tree up to 15 m

Pollen and ovule cones: on the same or different trees

Phylloclade form: broad, rhomboid to oval, very leathery

Pollen cone: 10-15 mm long, in whorls or clusters at tips of stems

Phylloclade size: 20-40 mm long x 20-80 mm wide

Ovule cone: globular, 3-5 mm with up to 12 fertile scales and several sterile bracts on a short stalk

Phylloclade margin: toothed to lobed

Ovule cone position: cones often replace lower parts of compound phylloclades

Phylloclade arrangement: arranged on either side of whorled stems (rhachides)

Ovule coverings: a single covering (integument)

Stem arrangement: in whorls of 3-5  

Ovule pore (micropyle): directed upward

Adult leaves (denticles): scale-like, 0.5-3 mm, on margin of phylloclade segment

Mature seed cone: each seed develops a white aril at the base and becomes enclosed by enlarged sterile bracts that turn reddish or purplish

Juvenile leaves: singly on stem, narrow-linear (needle-like) 10- 15 mm, deciduous

 Stem(receptacle) below seed: stalk not fleshy


Share Print Email