Southern rātā | |
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Southern rātā near Franz Josef Glacier | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Myrtales |
Family: | Myrtaceae |
Genus: | Metrosideros |
Species: | M. umbellata
|
Binomial name | |
Metrosideros umbellata | |
Distribution of M. umbellata in mainland New Zealand. Auckland Islands not shown. | |
Synonyms | |
Metrosideros lucida (G. Forst) A. Rich[1] |
Metrosideros umbellata, the southern rātā, is a tree endemic to New Zealand. It grows up to 15 metres (49 ft) or more tall with a trunk up to 1 metre (3 ft 3 in) or more in diameter. It produces masses of red flowers in summer. Unlike its relative, northern rātā, this species rarely grows as an epiphyte.