Five more kowhai species named

By PHILIP ENGLISH

Scientists have named five new species of a favourite New Zealand native yellow flowering tree - the kowhai.

Landcare Research and Department of Conservation scientists say kowhai now has a total of eight species. They are:

* Sophora longicarinata, which grows on marble and limestone in northwest Nelson and western Marlborough.

* S. godleyi, which grows on sandstone, siltstone and mudstone in areas including Rangitikei, Wanganui, Taihape and eastern Taranaki.

* S. molloyi, a shrub with a long flowering period which grows on harsh and inhospitable sites around Cook Strait and parts of the lower North Island.

* S. fulvida, which has particularly hairy leaves and grows on volcanic outcrops from Auckland to Waikato.

* S.chathamica, which grows in the west of the northern North Island.