Nestegis cunninghamii < Species index > Olearia colensoi
This article was first published in the Tararua Tramper Volume 95, # 1, February 2023
February in the hills with Michele Dickson, Chris Horne
Nestegis lanceolata, Maire, white maire
Photo: Jeremy Rolfe
Origin of the botanical names
'Nestegis' means 'lacking shelter - has no perianth' coming from the Greek ne- (without) and stege (cover, roof); 'lanceolata' refers to the long, narrow leaves which taper at both ends. White maire belongs to the Oleaceae family which also includes the olive tree, the ashes, lilacs, jasmines and privets.
Distribution and habitat
White maire is endemic to New Zealand. It grows in lowland to lower montane forests on Te Ika a Māui / North Island and on Te Waipounamu / South Island where it is present in the Marlborough Sounds, but uncommon elsewhere. Black maire and white maire often grow together but white maire less so in frost-prone habitats.
Growth habit
White maire is a stout spreading tree up to ca. 20 m tall with a straight trunk up to 1 m diameter. The tree has a rather domed canopy. The bark is grey-brown to brown with a repeating furrowed pattern. The slender branchlets are pale and smooth. The smooth-edged leaves are thick, glossy above, paler below and in opposite pairs. Juvenile leaves, 100-410 × 4-10 mm, are narrower and more pointed than adult leaves, which are narrow to elliptic, 40-80(-100) × 10-30 mm including the 5-10 mm long stout petioles. On the upper surface, the midrib is almost level with the surface, unlike that on black maire which is sunken. Juvenile white maire and black maire can look very similar. However, the upper leaf surface of white maire leaves is glossy while that of black maire juveniles is dull. The adult branchlets of white maire tend to be glabrous whilst those of black maire are distinctly pubescent. Also, the leaf venation of white maire is not so clearly visible on the lower leaf surface as it is on black maire.
Reproduction
White maire’s flowers appear from October to November. Tiny green or yellow flowers, 8-10 (unusually up to 14), are found on a smooth, unbranched flowering stem 10-20 mm long. Female flowers and male flowers may be on the same tree or on different trees. The fleshy fruit appear from December to February: they are 10-18 mm long, oblong-ovoid to ovoid and pink, red, pinkish-red or orange. Each fruit contains one purple-brown seed. The fruit are eaten by kererū and tūī which spread the seeds.
Uses
White maire has been used for the same purposes as black maire: by Māori to make various implements and weapons, then later by Pākehā, both trees being among the hardest of native timbers. The fruit was eaten by Māori.
Where can you find white maire?
Look for white maire in Ōtari-Wilton's Bush, East Harbour Regional Park, Mangaroa Valley, Te Mārua Bush, Kiripiti Scientific Reserve at Te Horo, and in the Akatarawa, Tararua and Remutaka ranges.
In The Hills 2022-12 < Index chronological > In The Hills 2023-03