Toatoa (Haloragis erecta)
Last Modified: 11-11-2020 13:20
© Christopher Cookson License this image
Toatoa, Haloragis erecta, (not to be confused with other NZ plant species also known as toatoa) is a small perennial shrubby plant endemic to NZ, growing from sea level to about 500m altitude, distinctive for its toothed leaves and reddish stems. Toatoa readily colonises cleared or burnt ground, giving rise to another common name, fire weed. Toatoa grows up to about 1m in height . A variety of cultivars are commonly sold in garden centres, and the plant has been cultivated outside NZ from the late 18th Century.
This example was observed within the Sutherland Stream catchment in the QE II Covenant area of the Wither Hills Farm Park, growing near an ephemeral stream. Other examples have been observed in various parts of the Sutherland Stream catchment.
Image Date: 2/11/2019
Photographer: Christopher Cookson
Location: Latitude: -41.556644 Longitude: 173.969193