Clianthus puniceus Semi evergreen shrub - a scrambling climber producing clusters of vibrant red lobster claw like flowers
Clianthus, from the Papilionaceae family, are evergreen, scrambling shrubs with pinnate leaves and spectacular drooping clusters of claw-like brilliant scarlet flowers in spring and summer that resemble a lobster claw Other common names: glory pea kaka beak New Zealand parrot's bill parrot's beak parrot's bill red kowhai Synonym(s): Clianthus puniceus 'Kaka Beak' Clianthus puniceus 'Red Admiral' Clianthus puniceus 'Red Cardinal' Clianthus, commonly known as Kakabeak (Kōwhai ngutukākā in Māori), is a plant genus comprising two species of woody legume shrubs native to New Zealand. They have striking clusters of red flowers which resemble the beak of the Kākā, a New Zealand parrot. The plants are also known as Parrot's Beak, Parrot's Bill and Lobster Claw. There is also a variety with white to creamy coloured flowers. The two species are the critically endangered Clianthus puniceus which is now known in the wild only on Moturemu Island in the Kaipara Harbour, and the endangered Clianthus maximus. In a 2005 survey, only 153 plants of C. maximus were found (down from over 1000 in 1996), mainly in the East Cape region. C. maximus is widely grown as a garden plant in New Zealand, but the cultivated lines are descended from only a few plants and are not genetically diverse. Kakabeak grows to around two metres high, with spreading branches producing leaf stalks up to 15 cm long bearing several pairs of small leaflets. They usually flower from spring through to early summer, but can flower twice a year or even year round.[3] Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander collected specimens of Clianthus in 1769 and C. puniceus was described in 1835. William Colenso identified two species of Clianthus as early as 1847 and described C. maximus in 1885. However Thomas Kirk reduced C. maximus to a variety of C. puniceus in 1899. Clianthus forms a clade with the genus Carmichaelia, New Zealand broom.
Size: 3639px × 5459px
Location: Warrington, Cheshire, England, United Kingdom
Photo credit: © John Hopkins / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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