DSC_9389 Koru (Lobelia physaloides) dark blue-violet flowers, showing later male phase of the flower. A rare, soft megaherb, with clusters of long tubular blue, or white flowers. It was once widely distributed through the northern North Island, in coastal and lowland forests but is now only common on offshore islands such as the Three Kings, Poor Knights, Taranga, and Raketu Islands. It prefers growing along stream sides, or in damp sites in half-shade, but has been largely destroyed by wandering, browsing stock - particularly cattle and goats - and is also highly palatable to introduced slugs and snails. Te Paki *
DSC_8417 Koru (Lobelia physaloides) dark blue-violet flowers showing early female phase of the flower. A rare, soft megaherb, with clusters of long tubular blue, or white flowers. It was once widely distributed through the northern North Island, in coastal and lowland forests but is now only common on offshore islands such as the Three Kings, Poor Knights, Taranga, and Raketu Islands. It prefers growing along stream sides, or in damp sites in half-shade, but has been largely destroyed by wandering, browsing stock - particularly cattle and goats - and is also highly palatable to introduced slugs and snails. Te Paki *
DSC_8408 Koru (Lobelia physaloides) dark blue-violet flowers, showing early female phase of the flower (top and centre), and later male phase (bottom). A rare, soft megaherb, with clusters of long tubular blue, or white flowers. It was once widely distributed through the northern North Island, in coastal and lowland forests but is now only common on offshore islands such as the Three Kings, Poor Knights, Taranga, and Raketu Islands. It prefers growing along stream sides, or in damp sites in half-shade, but has been largely destroyed by wandering, browsing stock - particularly cattle and goats - and is also highly palatable to introduced slugs and snails. Te Paki *
