Puriri (Vitex lucens)

Description

Puriri (Vitex lucens) is an evergreen tree endemic to New Zealand. Puriri was first collected (by Europeans) at Tolaga Bay by Banks and Solander during Cook's first visit in 1769. The plant was excellently described by Solander in his manuscript "Primitae Florae Novae Zelandiae" under the name Ephielis pentaphylla, and a drawing of considerable artistic merit was also prepared. The next botanist to notice puriri, Allan Cunningham, did not do so until 1826 when he observed it on "the rocky shores of Bay of Islands, growing frequently within the range of salt water." Cunningham named it Vitex littoralis, correctly assigning it to the genus Vitex but overlooking that "littoralis" had been used for a Malayan species 4 years earlier. Kirk proposed V. lucens in 1897 after attention had been drawn to the fact that V. littoralis was taken. The Maori name of this tree is 'pūriri' or sometimes 'kauere'. The common name in English is usually 'puriri', although 'New Zealand mahogany' and 'New Zealand teak' occur in older printed sources, especially in reference to the timber. The Puriri tree can grow up to 20 m tall, with a trunk commonly up to 1.5 m in diameter, frequently thicker, and a broad spreading crown. The thin bark is usually smooth and light brown in colour,[5] but can also be very flaky. Puriri was actively and selectively logged in the past to provide timber for a wide range of end uses. Only the best trees were felled, leaving the gnarled puriri often found on farm paddocks. This has given the impression that puriri is incapable of growing straight, but early reports of puriri describe naturally clear boles of 15 to 30 feet (4.5 to 9 m) and there are still a few trees like that left. A good example of a well-shaped tree is behind Ruapekapeka Pa in Northland. The dark green glossy leaves of puriri are palmate with usually 5 leaflets, or sometimes three. The lowest two leaflets are smaller than the other three. The leaflets have domatia, little pockets where the mid vein and branching veins meet. Nobody is quite sure what domatia are for. The underside and veins are a lighter green. Seedling leaves are much more delicate and a lighter green with serrations along the edge. Seedling puriri can be confused with seedlings of the kohekohe, or Dysoxylum spectabile; the most obvious difference is that puriri leaflets originate from one point, whereas kohekohe leaflets are spread along the stalk. The branches of puriri, especially the young ones, are square in cross-section.