Kamahi
Common name: None
Botanical name: Weinmania racemosa
The kamahi is a broad spreading lowland forest tree that grows from sea level to 900 metres altitude and ranges from Auckland to Stewart Island. It grows up to 25 metres tall with a trunk up to 1.2 metres across.
Leaves - front and back
Its leaves are quite variable in size, from 3-10 cms long and 2-4 cms wide, with serrated margins. They are glossy green on top and a paler dull green underneath, with a prominent vein pattern.
Flowers
Kamahi flowers profusely in spring. White buds on reddish stems open to tall racemes of small white flowers. After the flowers come small fruits, initially green but ripening to a reddish colour in the autumn, which give the tree a reddish glow. These turn brown once the seed has been dispersed.
Whilst the tree can grow with a straight trunk it often does not, forming branches from close to ground level. The tree at GZ is a particularly good specimen for showing an unusual growth habit, having seemingly grown almost horizontally initially.
The kamahi at GZ
The cache
The cache is a red M&M container and at time of placement contained a log sheet and a smiley face hand stamp only. Please make sure you bring your own pen or pencil. Finds logged online that are not also on the paper log in the cache will be removed.