Nestegis

Nestegis
Black maire (Nestegis cunninghamii) in New Zealand
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	Lamiales
Family:	Oleaceae
Tribe:	Oleeae
Genus:	Nestegis Raf.[1]
Species
See text

Nestegis is a genus of flowering plant in the olive family, Oleaceae. There are a small number of species in the genus: three species are endemic to New Zealand, one can be found on New Zealand and Norfolk Island, another is restricted to Hawaiʻi, one in Australia. The name Nestegis derives from the Greek prefix ne- (not) and stegasma (a cover), in allusion to the lack of a corolla in the type species, Nestegis apetala.

The related genus Osmanthus is sometimes included here.

Description

Nestegis species are evergreen trees or shrubs. The leaves are opposite, simple, entire, and coriaceous. The inflorescence is axillary, decussate, sometimes terminal and somewhat paniculate. The flowers are either bisexual or functionally unisexual. The corolla is either absent or four-lobed with a short tube. There are two or four stamens. The ovary is shaped like a flask. The fruit is a drupe containing a single seed.

Species

• Nestegis apetala (Vahl) L.A.S.Johnson - Coastal maire or Broad-leaved maire (Norfolk Island, New Zealand)
• Nestegis cunninghamii (Hook.f.) L.A.S.Johnson - Black maire (New Zealand)
• Nestegis lanceolata - White maire (New Zealand)
• Nestegis montana - Narrow-leaved maire (New Zealand)
• Nestegis ligustrina - Privet Mock Olive (Australia)^[2][3]
• Nestegis sandwicensis (A.Gray) O.Deg., I.Deg. & L.A.S.Johnson - Olopua (Hawaiʻi)^[4][5]

References

1. ^ "Nestegis Raf.". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 2006-04-03. http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/genus.pl?8205. Retrieved 2009-03-23. 
2. ^ http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Nestegis~ligustrina
3. ^ http://www.biologybrowser.org/node/1335769
4. ^ Little Jr., Elbert L.; Roger G. Skolmen (1989) (PDF). Olopua, pua. United States Forest Service. http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/forestry/data/CommonTreesHI/CFT_Osmanthus_sandwicensis.pdf. 
5. ^ "Olopua". Native Hawaiian Plants. Kapiʻolani Community College. http://old.kcc.hawaii.edu/campus/tour/plants/polopua.htm. Retrieved 2009-03-02. 

• "Nestegis". Flora of Australia Online. http://www.anbg.gov.au/abrs/abif/flora/stddisplay.xsql?pnid=5836. Retrieved 2007-07-24. 
• Salmon, John Tenison (1973). The Native Trees of New Zealand. Wellington, New Zealand: Reed Publishing. ISBN 0-589-01340-8.