Carpodetus serratus

Carpodetus serratus, commonly known as marbleleaf and putaputawētā, is a species of tree in the family Rousseaceae. It is endemic to New Zealand; its range mainly covers the North, South, and Stewart Islands. The species is commonly found on river banks and the margins of forests. It is a monoecious tree reaching up to 10 metres (30 feet) in height. Its young stage resembles a divaricating tangled shrub with branchlets arranged in a zig-zag pattern. Carpodetus serratus was first described in 1776 by the German naturalists Georg and Johann Reinhold Forster. Pollination is likely achieved by insects, but the tree is potentially capable of self-pollination. The tree often has holes in the trunk which is a result of being tunnelled by pūriri moths (Aenetus virescens). These tunnels are then inhabited by wētā, hence the Māori name putaputawētā referring to many wētā emerging. European settlers valued the tree, the wood had multiple uses as timber, and the flowers were a competitor to being ......read more on Wikipedia.