Prumnopitys taxifolia
| Prumnopitys taxifolia | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 9 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Evergreen | |
| Height: | 82' |
| Speed: | Slow |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Prumnopitys taxifolia (common name: matai)
Propagation: Seed - it can be sown at any time of the year in a sandy soil in a greenhouse[1]. It can take 18 months to germinate[2]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/august in a frame. Easy[1].
Cuttings of ripe wood with a heel in late summer.
Cultivation: Thrives in any good soil, including chalk[3][4]. Requires a sheltered position[3].
This species is not very cold-hardy in Britain, though it succeeds outdoors in the mildest areas of the country[3][4].
Dioecious, male and female plants must be grown if seed and fruit are required.
Range: New Zealand.
Habitat: Lowland forests, North, South and Stewart Islands[5].
Edibility: Fruit - raw[6][7][8]. A sweet flavour[9]. The fruit is about 10mm in diameter and contains one seed[2].
The watery sap is drunk or used in the preparation of a beer-like beverage[9]. It is best from trees that are neither too young nor too old[8].
Other reports say that the young shoots are made into a beverage resembling spruce beer[9].
Usage: The plant is very tolerant of trimming and can be grown as a hedge[2].
Wood. Used for furniture, construction, bridges etc[10].
Pollinators: Wind
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
In Leaf: Evergreen
Seed Ripens: Mid Fall-Late Fall
Flower Type: Dioecious
Also Known As: Dacrydium spicatum. D. taxifolium. P. spicata. (Mirbel.)Masters. Podocarpus spicatus.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Rushforth, Keith. Conifers. Batsford, 1991.
- ↑ Allan, Harry. Flora of New Zealand. Government Printer Publications, 1961.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ Laing, Robert. Plants of New Zealand. Whitcombe and Tombs Ltd, 1907.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Crowe, Andrew. Native Edible Plants of New Zealand. Hodder and Stoughton, 1990.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.