By Len Gillman, Restoration Ruatuna
Kohurangi is abundant in the Waitakere Ranges where it grows in the understory on dry ridge sites often in association with kauri – there are several plants on the Beverage Track. It is also common as an epiphyte perching in lofty positions on the limbs and branch forks of large trees. Like all daisies it has composite flowers; what appears to be a single flower is a cluster of small flowers. The overall appearance of the cluster is that of a single flower. Kohurangi has a cluster of small yellow central flowers surrounded by large white ray florets that look like white petals.
Height: up to 5 m. Often epiphytic.
Bark: thin, smooth.
Branches: young branches purple.
Leaves: 5-12 x 1-2 cm, highly variable in shape with smooth, lobed, or toothed margins, fleshy and bunched towards branch ends.
Flowers: up to 5 cm diameter, white ray petals with yellow to orange centres.
Seeds: with hairs like dandelions.
DISTINGUISHING FEATURES: Fleshy leaves and large white daisy flowers.