Melicytus orarius
Melicytus orarius, or Cook Strait māhoe, is a species of flowering plant in the violet family Violaceae.
Description
A hermaphroditic, small Melicytus bush with obovate leaves with a retuse apex, and purple-margined petals. It can grow prostrate in exposed conditions.
It was described in 2017, with the type specimen coming from Wellington Harbour.
Etymology
orarius is the adjectival form of the Latin ōra, meaning ''shore.''
Distribution
New Zealand, near the Cook Strait, on the North and South Island islands, and nearby islets.
Habitat
Exposed headlands and rocks near the sea. It may require extensive guano deposits from seabirds in order to thrive, and populations that are in compromised habitats such as farmed islands like Kapiti or in suburban Wellington are now seen as relicts, while other populations on islets in the Cook Strait, especially in the Marlborough Sound, are still viable.