| Metrosideros collina | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Myrtales |
| Family: | Myrtaceae |
| Genus: | Metrosideros |
| Species: | M. collina |
| Binomial name | |
| Metrosideros collina | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
| |
Metrosideros collina is a species of flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae. It is a tree or shrub native to French Polynesia, the Cook Islands, and the Pitcairn Islands. [1]
The species was first formally described by botanist Johann Reinhold Forster and his son Georg Forster in 1776. It was given the name Leptospermum collinum.
M. collina was formerly thought to have a larger range, extending to Vanuatu, Fiji, and the Samoan Islands. A phylogenetic study, published in 2015 by Pillon et al., found that M. collina comprised two genetically distinct groups, and the populations in Vanuatu, Fiji, and Samoa were recognized as a distinct species, M. vitiensis . [2]
In the Society Islands, Metrosideros collina is a common canopy tree in montane rain forests above 300 meters elevation, and in cloud forests from 400 to 1000 meters elevation, and on exposed ridges. [3]
In the Marquesas Islands, Metrosideros collina is common on drier and more exposed montane forests, in cloud forests, and in shrub form in windswept mountaintop shrublands. [4]
On Rarotonga in the Cook Islands, Metrosideros collina is the dominant tree in cloud forests on the island's cloud-shrouded peaks and ridges above 400 metres elevation. M. collina and associated trees, including Pterophylla samoensis, Elaeocarpus floridanus , and Pittosporum rarotongense , form a low forest canopy averaging eight meters tall. In wetter areas and at higher elevations Ascarina diffusa is often co-dominant or dominant in the canopy. M. collina is also found in lower-elevation rainforests dominated by Homalium acuminatum . [5]
Metrosideros collina is a common canopy tree in higher-elevation interior forests on Pitcairn Island, with the trees Homalium mouo, Ficus prolixa, Pandanus tectorius , and Thespesia populnea . [6]
There are two accepted varieties: [1]
Cultivars of Metrosideros collina are used as ornamental plants, for planting in tropical and subtropical climate gardens. Cultivars include:
The Vanuatu rain forests are tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests ecoregion which includes the islands of Vanuatu, as well as the Santa Cruz Islands group of the neighboring Solomon Islands. It is part of the Australasian realm, which includes neighboring New Caledonia and the Solomon Islands, as well as Australia, New Guinea, and New Zealand.
Laurel forest, also called laurisilva or laurissilva, is a type of subtropical forest found in areas with high humidity and relatively stable, mild temperatures. The forest is characterized by broadleaf tree species with evergreen, glossy and elongated leaves, known as "laurophyll" or "lauroid". Plants from the laurel family (Lauraceae) may or may not be present, depending on the location.
The Hawaiian tropical rainforests are a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion in the Hawaiian Islands. They cover an area of 6,700 km2 (2,600 sq mi) in the windward lowlands and montane regions of the islands. Coastal mesic forests are found at elevations from sea level to 300 m (980 ft). Mixed mesic forests occur at elevations of 750 to 1,250 m, while wet forests are found from 1,250 to 1,700 m. Moist bogs and shrublands exist on montane plateaus and depressions. For the 28 million years of existence of the Hawaiian Islands, they have been isolated from the rest of the world by vast stretches of the Pacific Ocean, and this isolation has resulted in the evolution of an incredible diversity of endemic species, including fungi, mosses, snails, birds, and other wildlife. In the lush, moist forests high in the mountains, trees are draped with vines, orchids, ferns, and mosses. This ecoregion includes one of the world's wettest places, the slopes of Mount Waiʻaleʻale, which average 373 in (9,500 mm) of rainfall per year.
The São Tomé, Príncipe, and Annobón forests, also known as the São Tomé, Príncipe, and Annobón moist lowland forests, is a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion that covers the islands of São Tomé and Príncipe, which form the island nation of São Tomé and Príncipe, as well as the island of Annobón, which is part of Equatorial Guinea.
The Chin Hills-Arakan Yoma montane forests is a tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion in western Myanmar (Burma). Surrounded at lower elevations by moist tropical forests, this ecoregion is home a diverse range of subtropical and temperate species, including many species characteristic of the Himalayas, as well as many endemic species.
The Samoan tropical moist forests are a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion in the Samoan Islands of the Pacific Ocean.
The Peninsular Malaysian montane rain forests is an ecoregion on Malay Peninsula. It occupies the mountainous spine of the peninsula in Malaysia and southernmost Thailand. It is in the tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests biome.
The New Britain–New Ireland montane rain forests is a tropical moist forest ecoregion in Papua New Guinea. The ecoregion includes the mountain rain forests on the islands of New Britain and New Ireland, which lie northeast of New Guinea.
The Fiji tropical moist forests is a tropical moist forest ecoregion in Fiji and Wallis and Futuna. It covers the windward sides of Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, Fiji's largest islands, as well as the smaller Fijian islands and the three islands that make up Wallis and Futuna, an overseas territory of France.
The Cook Islands tropical moist forests is a tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests ecoregion that covers the Southern Cook Islands in the Cook Islands.
The Tubuai tropical moist forests is a tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests ecoregion in French Polynesia. It covers the Austral Islands.
The Society Islands tropical moist forests is a tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests ecoregion in the Society Islands of French Polynesia.
The Marquesas tropical moist forests is a tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests ecoregion in the Marquesas Islands of French Polynesia.
The Tuamotu tropical moist forests is a tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests ecoregion in the Tuamotu Archipelago of French Polynesia and the Pitcairn Islands.
The Carolines tropical moist forests is a tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests ecoregion in Micronesia. It includes the central and eastern Caroline Islands in the Federated States of Micronesia.
Pterophylla parviflora, formerly known as Weinmannia parviflora, is a species of plant in the family Cunoniaceae. It is endemic to the Society Islands of French Polynesia.
Pterophylla marquesana, formerly known as Weinmannia marquesana, is a species of plant in the family Cunoniaceae. It is a shrub or tree endemic to the Marquesas Islands of French Polynesia.
Pterophylla samoensis, formerly known as Weinmannia samoensis, is a species of plant in the family Cunoniaceae. It is a tree native to the Samoan Islands and to Rarotonga in the Cook Islands.
Metrosideros vitiensis is a species of flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae. It is a shrub or tree native to Vanuatu, Fiji, and the Samoan Islands.