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Lophomyrtus x ralphii

Common name:		Family:	Myrtaceae
Author:	(Hook.f.)Burret.	Botanical references:	11, 200
Synonyms:
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	New Zealand.
Habitat:	Coastal to montane forest, especially marginally, in North Island and occasionally in the north of South Island[44, 173].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	2	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	0

Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Myrtales. Myrtle family

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen shrub growing to 5m by 3m . It is hardy to zone 9. It is in leaf all year, in flower from May to June. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs). We rate it 2/5 for edibility and 0/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Sunny Edge, By Walls, By South Wall, By West Wall.

Edible Uses

Fruit.

Fruit - raw or cooked[K]. They are sweet and pleasant with a slightly aromatic flavour when they are fully ripe[K]. The fruit is berry about 7mm in diameter containing a number of small but very hard seeds[K]. We have seen plants of the cultivar 'Sundae' still bearing fruit in the early spring.

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

None known

Other Uses

None known

Cultivation details

Succeeds in any soil of reasonably good quality[1]. Prefers a sheltered position in full sun in a moderately fertile well-drained soil enriched with leafmould[200, 260].
A naturally occurring hybrid of Lophomyrtus bullata x Lophomyrtus obcordata[200].
Plants are scarcely hardy at Kew but they succeed outdoors in the milder parts of the country[11], tolerating temperatures down to about -5° c[260].
Growth can be restricted by cutting the plant back in spring[188].

Propagation

Seed - we have no information on this species but suggest sowing the seed in a warm greenhouse in late winter or early spring. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Give the plants some protection from the cold for at least their first winter outdoors.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in sand in a frame[200].
Cuttings of mature wood, late autumn in a frame[200]. Basal cuttings are used[200].
Layering.

Cultivars

'Sundae': We have seen plants of this cultivar still bearing reasonable crops of good quality fruits in the spring.

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

References for the family Myrtaceae.

To be included in the Flora of China.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[44] Allan. H. H. Flora of New Zealand. Government Printer, Wellington. 1961
The standard work, in 3 volumes though only the first two are of interest to the plant project. Very good on habitats.

[173] Crowe. A. Native Edible Plants of New Zealand. Hodder and Stoughton 1990 ISBN 0-340-508302
A very well written and illustrated book based on the authors own experiments with living on a native diet.

[188] Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990 ISBN 0-86318-386-7
Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[260] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Conservatory and Indoor Plants Volumes 1 & 2 Pan Books, London. 1998 ISBN 0-330-37376-5
Excellent photos of over 1,100 species and cultivars with habits and cultivation details plus a few plant uses. Many species are too tender for outdoors in Britain though there are many that can be grown outside.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
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