‘Nosy bugger’s’ discovery confirmed as new mānuka species

This is Leptospermum Tairawhitiense in its different stages while, left, is East Coast man Graeme Atkins who came across it 20 years ago. Following a research paper, it has been recognised as a new species of mānuka found on the East Coast between Ūawa and Hāwai. The epithet Tairawhitiense is taken from Te Tairāwhiti. Pictures supplied

A new species of mānuka has been confirmed in Tairāwhiti 20 years after being discovered by East Coast conservationist Graeme Atkins.

Mr Atkins, who says he has a knack for spotting different plants in the taiao (environment), came across what is now known as Leptospermum Tairawhitiense on the East Cape.

A self-confessed “nosy bugger”, especially when it comes to natural history and the environment, he said he saw the mānuka while “roaming around in the taiao”.

“I noticed a difference between mānuka south of Gisborne and north of Gisborne.

“Although it was lumped just under one species, I knew there was enough variation that it was possibly another species.

“In an earlier study, we (he and other researchers) looked at local mānuka at a genetic level and the result of that showed there were genetic differences at a catchment scale.”

Mānuka in one catchment could be genetically distinct from mānuka “just over the ridge” even though they looked similar.

Interest in finding different species started when the mānuka honey industry was ramping up about 25 years ago and those involved were looking for high UMF (Unique Mānuka Factor) varieties — the higher the UMF, the more potent the mānuka honey.

The best quality was found north of Gisborne.

Mr Atkins and fellow researchers Peter James De Lange, Matt A. M. Renner, Lilith Kate Mabel Fisher, Andrew Marshall and Luzie M.H. Schmid showed there were distinctly different features of mānuka on the East Cape compared with mānuka elsewhere in the country.

Mr Atkins has seen different types of manuka across the North Island such as up north where he said the flowers were more pink, even red, but still looked like mānuka.

“When you look at the leaf size, leaf shape, when they flower and all the other aspects — they are different.”

Samples of the newly confirmed species were  collected from around Tairāwhiti, mostly from roadsides.

Its distribution area was found to be from Ūawa to Hāwai.

The flowering helped confirm the different species.

“The best part of the research was roaming all over the place — from Ōpōtiki to the East Cape and as far down as Māhia, and every place in between.”

Mr Atkins said it was really cool working on a research paper which confirmed there was a species of mānuka special to this part of the world.

“It’s my passion to do this stuff. It’s like looking for gold . .  . in this case, looking for green gold.”

The discovery of further species of mānuka in Aotearoa is possible.

The full research paper is available to read at tinyurl.com/mrxsm2r5