Matagouri (Discaria toumatou)
Last Modified: 1-2-2020 7:59
© Christopher Cookson License this image
Matagouri (Discaria toumatou) is New Zealand's only endemic plant with thorns, common in tussock grasslands of the South Island, particularly east of the Main Divide. In a similar way to legumes (although matagouri is not a legume) the plant forms a symbiotic relationship with nitrogen fixing bacteria, enabling it to grow in nutrient poor soils.
This example was photographed in the Sutherland Stream area of the Wither Hills Farm Park.
Image Date: 22/8/1970
Photographer: Christopher Cookson
Location: Latitude: -41.549377 Longitude: 173.965546