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NZ Plants

Melicope simplex - poataniwha

Rue family: Rutaceae

Branch

L Jensen
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Leaves on new growth. Leaf stalks (petioles) are large and jointed at the leaf blade.

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Leaves on older stems. New leaves form above the bases of the original leaves which have been shed.

L Jensen
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Buds on the older stem form successive leaves.

L Jensen
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As buds continue to form leaves, short arrested branchlets are formed.

L Jensen
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Juvenile foliage, leaves with three leaflets

I MacDonald
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Leaf upper surface, low power

L Jensen
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Leaf upper surface, glands of various sizes are found in the leaf

L Jensen
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Leaf, lower surface, low power

L Jensen
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Leaf, lower surface, numerous glands

L Jensen
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Leaf, lower surface glands

L Jensen
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Flower arrangement

L Jensen
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Flower, side view of sepals

L Jensen
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Male flower with fertile stamens and undeveloped ovary

L Jensen
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Female flower, sterile stamens and enlarged, deeply lobed fertile ovary

L Jensen
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Flower with developing fruit. The ovules in only two ovary lobes (compartments) of this flower were fertilised.

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Mature fruit. When each fruit compartment opens, its pale inner wall dries and curls up detaching itself and ejecting the black seed.

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Melicope simplex is a shrub with interlacing (divaricating) branches bearing small, round leathery leaves. Juvenile stages have much smaller leaves and they are often divided into three leaflets (trifoliate). Melicope is a genus with over 200 species found in the Hawaiian Islands east to tropical Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
An endemic species found in coastal and lowland forests throughout New Zealand.

Vegetative characteristics	Reproductive characteristics
Plant form: shrub up to 8 m	Flower symmetry: symmetric
	Flower size: 5-7 mm diam.
Leaf form: undivided, round with flattened petiole; juvenile divided 1-3 times	Sepals: 5
Leaf size: 10-20 mm	Petals: 5, green, white
Leaf arrangement: in opposite pairs, singly or on on short shoots	Sexuality: bisexual to unisexual
Leaf attachment:	Stamens: 8-10
Leaf margin: toothed	Ovary: above petals
Leaf surface: smooth, glands	Fruit: dry

Seed plants (flowering)

NZ Plants

Melicope simplex - poataniwha

Branch

Leaves on new growth. Leaf stalks (petioles) are large and jointed at the leaf blade.

Leaves on older stems. New leaves form above the bases of the original leaves which have been shed.

Buds on the older stem form successive leaves.

As buds continue to form leaves, short arrested branchlets are formed.

Juvenile foliage, leaves with three leaflets

Leaf upper surface, low power

Leaf upper surface, glands of various sizes are found in the leaf

Leaf, lower surface, low power

Leaf, lower surface, numerous glands

Leaf, lower surface glands

Flower arrangement

Flower, side view of sepals

Male flower with fertile stamens and undeveloped ovary

Female flower, sterile stamens and enlarged, deeply lobed fertile ovary

Flower with developing fruit. The ovules in only two ovary lobes (compartments) of this flower were fertilised.

Mature fruit. When each fruit compartment opens, its pale inner wall dries and curls up detaching itself and ejecting the black seed.