Botanical name:

Machaerina complanata

Common name(s):

About:

This plant features striking iris-like leaves that are vivid and bright green in colour, typically growing to heights between 50 and 90 cm. The flowering stems reach a comparable height, showcasing long, upright panicles that display a light reddish-brown hue, adding to the plant's visual appeal. Notably, this species is considered very rare, as it can be found in only a limited number of damp areas within the scrub ecosystem of the upper North Island. Furthermore, it exhibits a slow growth rate and thrives best in environments that are consistently damp, preferring either light shade or relatively open conditions to reach its full potential.

Natural habitat:

Coastal to lowland (1-300 m a.s.l.). A species of open habitats which has been collected from estuaries (in salt marsh), consolidated dune swales (which are seasonally wet), freshwater lake and river margins, amongst gum land scrub, under regenerating kauri, from the margins of geothermally active springs and fumaroles, and from acidic peat bogs.

Growing environment:

Sun, Shade, Coastal, Wetland  & Wind tolerant

Endemic distribution:

Known only from the North Island, where it now occurs locally from Te Paki south to the Kaipara Harbour. It was also once present in the Waikato on the shores of Lake Waaihi, and there are recent subfossil deposits made by this species in peat bogs (now drained) at Papamoa and Te Puke (Bay of Plenty)

Height: 90cm

Flowering:

September – November

Fruiting:

November - March (but fruits of varying ages may be found throughout the year)

Uses:

Riparian plantings

How to grow:

Difficult and should not be removed from the wild. Fresh seed germinates easily (usually within 1-3 months) but plants resent root disturbance and seedlings need to be handled with care as any root damage will kill them. Once seedlings establish it is easy to grow. Does well in wet or dry but prefers full sun. Experimentation with growing conditions at Oratia Native Plant Nurseries showed this species does best when planted in fresh, untreated pine saw dust. Seed set varies from year to year, and there is some indication that it has mast years. 

** 4 – 6 weeks cold stratification is recommended