Wood roses bloom

Earlier this year Mangaweka fencing contractors Chris and Dougal Satherly helped the Department of Conservation conserve the precious indigenous plant species Dactylanthus taylorii.

The father and son fenced off areas of Dactylanthus at nearby Mokai Station by building protective caging around the flowers to save it from possums.

Chris Satherly said the root-like stems of the host tree are known as "wood rose".

"The rose is the scar from where the Dactylanthus was attached to the host tree. They're quite rare and protected," he said.

DoC supplied the materials for the Satherlys to fence off the Dactylanthus plants on the station to ensure they were safe from marauding possums on the hunt for the flowers and seeds.

The highly unusual plant holds a special place in New Zealand's indigenous flora as the only fully parasitic flowering plant, Mr Satherly said.

It is the only parasitic flowering plant found from Northland to Wairarapa and grows well on the central plateau.

From DoC website on the recovery of Dactylanthus from 1995 it says it grows as a root-like stem attached to the root of a host tree and the host root moulds into the shape of a fluted wooden rose, giving the plant its previous common name of wood rose. It is through this placenta-like attachment that Dactylanthus draws all its nutrients.

The Maori name for Dactylanthus is pua o te reinga, meaning flower of the underworld, because of the way the flowers emerge from below ground.

The DoC recovery plan was set in the 1990s when DoC realised the rare plant was in serious decline.

Even though it is found in widely scattered sites, it prefers prefers damp but well drained places, and is often found growing at the head of small streams.

Dactylanthus lives where trees form a dense, leafy canopy and the ground is well covered in tall forest.

There were several Dactylanthus specimens growing in the Mangaweka Reserve, but they weren't easy to find, Mr Satherly said.

"But because it grows underground so it's hard to know the exact number of plants that exist."

Mr Satherly's wife Cathy remembers from her childhood the "wood rose" always having pride of place either in floral arrangements or as an ornament.

"They are very beautiful things."

She remembers her own "wood rose" being brought home more than 40 years ago by husband Chris.

"It just looked like a big piece of log. He had to boil it again and again before you got to the wood rose inside. It took a long time and was very painstaking, but the result is quite beautiful."

Because the Satherlys were fencing contractors throughout the Rangitikei area they were often working in remote places. "They are able to help DoC out sometimes," she said.

Dactylanthus at a glance

Has no green leaves or roots of its own.

Strong scent, which attracts pollinators.

Dactylanthus is pollinated by the short-tailed bat.

Separate male and female plants.