| Whau | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Malvales |
| Family: | Malvaceae |
| Subfamily: | Grewioideae |
| Genus: | Entelea R.Br. |
| Species: | E. arborescens
|
| Binomial name | |
| Entelea arborescens R.Br.
| |
Entelea arborescens or whau is a species of malvaceous tree endemic to New Zealand. E. arborescens is the only species in the genus Entelea. A shrub or small tree to 6 m with large lime-like leaves giving a tropical appearance, whau grows in low forest along the coast of the North Island and the northern tip of the South Island. The dry fruit capsules are very distinctly brown and covered with spines. The common name whau is a Māori word that appears to derive from the common Polynesian word for hibiscus, particularly Hibiscus tiliaceus, which it superficially resembles.[1][2] Alternate names include 'New Zealand mulberry', 'corkwood' and 'evergreen lime'.
- ^ "Whau". Te Māra Reo: The Language Garden. Benton Family Trust. 2022. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
- ^ Blust, Robert; Trussel, Stephen (2010). "*baRu: a small shore tree: Hibiscus tiliaceus". Austronesian Comparative Dictionary. Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. Retrieved 30 September 2022.