Ascarina lucida Hook.fil.

Common Name and Growth Form

Ascarina lucida, commonly called hutu, is a monoecious species of shrub or small tree.

Size

It can grow up to 8 metres (30 feet) tall, with a trunk reaching up to 300 mm in diameter.

Bark and Branchlets

Its bark is pale and smooth, while its branchlets are slender and dark purple.

Wood Characteristics

The wood of Ascarina lucida is reddish-brown, straight-grained, and noted to be tough and strong.

Lifespan

The largest known individuals are estimated to have a maximum lifespan of around 130 years.

Leaf Petioles

Its leaf petioles measure 8–10 mm long.

Leaf Blade Texture and Dimensions

Leaf blades (laminae) are coriaceous, or leather-like in texture, and measure 20–80 mm long by 15–38 mm wide, with shapes ranging from elliptic to oval to obovate.

Leaf Surface and Serrations

The leaf surface is glossy yellow-green, rarely dark green, and the leaf serrations are dark purple-black or maroon.

Leaf Bracts

Leaf bracts are acute in shape.

Leaf Similarity and Distinguishing Feature

Ascarina lucida leaves resemble those of pukatea (Laurelia novae-zelandiae), but can be distinguished by the presence of bristles at the base of A. lucida leaves.

Inflorescence Structure

The inflorescences (flower clusters) of Ascarina lucida are arranged in branched spikes, with individual branches measuring around 30–40 mm long.

Flower Characteristics

The flowers are green or red-tinged and 0.8–1.2 mm long.

Male and Female Flower Morphology

Male flowers bear one cylindrical anther 2.5–3.0 mm long, while female flowers are smaller.

Fruit Characteristics

The fruit is a fleshy white broadly ovoid drupe 2.5–3.0 mm long, and contains a single seed.

Chromosome Count

Ascarina lucida has a diploid chromosome count of 26.

Endemic Range

Ascarina lucida is endemic to New Zealand, and occurs across both the North and South Islands.

North Island Distribution

In the North Island it is rare, and occurs mostly on the western side of the island; recorded populations are found in the Bay of Islands, Coromandel Peninsula, Kaitaia, Whangārei, and the Wairarapa Region.

South Island Distribution

In the South Island it is more common, with recorded occurrences in north-west Nelson, Marlborough, and West Coast Regions, and it is abundant on the western side of the island.

Southern Range Limit

It grows as far south as Puysegur Point in Fiordland.

Holocene Population Trend

While A. lucida was common in the early Holocene, it has become progressively less common over the past 7,000 years.

Habitat Type

Ascarina lucida typically grows in lowland and montane forests.

Altitudinal Range by Island

In the South Island, it does not occur at altitudes above 300 m (980 ft), while in the North Island it can grow at altitudes up to 850 m (2,790 ft).

Auckland Region Altitudinal Range

In the Auckland Region, it occurs between 20–600 metres (70–2,000 feet) above sea level.

Soil and Climate Preferences

It grows in a range of soil types, and is principally found in podocarp-hardwood forests in sheltered sites, and is often found in areas with annual rainfall of 1,500 mm or more.

Fruit Dispersal

The fruits of Ascarina lucida are dispersed by frugivorous fruit-eating animals such as birds; in 1996, Burrows recorded that silvereyes (Zosterops lateralis) consume large quantities of A. lucida fruit.

Pollination Method

Ascarina lucida is wind-pollinated, with no confirmed evidence of insect pollination, though the non-native honeybee (Apis mellifera) has been recorded visiting the plant.

Floral Structure Research

Moore first studied the floral structure of A. lucida in 1977, which was further investigated by Garnock-Jones et al. in 2025.

Sexual System Clarification

Ascarina lucida is confirmed to be monoecious, with both male and female flower structures growing on the same individual plant; it was previously incorrectly thought to be dioecious, with individual plants being entirely male or entirely female.

Environmental Tolerance Testing Method

In experimental tests of A. lucida's environmental tolerance to different climates, seedlings were exposed to varying temperature, drought, and waterlogged soil conditions.

Waterlogging Tolerance

A 2005 study found that A. lucida seedlings can tolerate waterlogged soils, though they develop significantly reduced root biomass under severe waterlogging.

Cold Tolerance

Exposure to temperatures of −2°C caused all tested seedlings to die.

Drought Tolerance

Ascarina lucida has similar drought tolerance to Coprosma autumnalis, a species known for its drought intolerance.

Germination Traits

Germination rates for the species vary by the environmental location of the source population, and the species is well-adapted to colonising disturbed sites.

Germination Rate Study

A 2002 study recorded a 76 percent germination rate for seeds from submontane populations, compared to a 32 percent germination rate for seeds from lowland populations.