Metrosideros bartlettii J.W.Dawson

Tree up to 25 m with a trunk up to m or more in diameter, often initially epiphytic on trees or tree ferns; bark pale grey to whitish, spongy, separating into soft flakes; young twigs often dark red, 4-angled to rounded and with long-persistent, white spreading hairs. Leaves chartaceous to coriaceous, palish-green, young leaves pubescent marginally and on the midribs and petiole, the hairs tending to persist on midribs and petioles; petioles 4-5 × 1 mm; lamina 3-4.5 × 1.5-2.3 cm, elliptic to ovate, cuneate at the base, acute to attenuate at the tip, the latter often twisted, upper surface shiny with evident veins, lower surface glossy with entire vein network evident and oil glands obscure, midrib raised below, impressed above. Inflorescences with 3-4 pairs of cymules and a moderately dense tomentum of spreading white hairs; peduncles up to 9 × 1 mm; bracts and bracteoles not seen. Flowers white; pedicels up to 3 × 1 mm; hypanthium 2.5-3 mm high × 2-2.5 mm wide; sepals triangular, spreading, 1-1.5 × 1-1.5 mm; petals elliptic to ovate, 2.5-3 mm × 1.8-2 mm; stamens 5-9 mm long; style 10-11 mm long; ovary half superior. Fruit hypanthium puberulent, 2-2.5 mm high × 2.5-3 mm wide, sepals persistent, deflexed, capsules exserted for 1.5-2.5 mm. Seeds not seen.

[Reproduced from Dawson (1985, New Zealand J. Bot. 23: 607–610) with permission from The Royal Society of New Zealand.]