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Knightia excels R. Br.
Family: Proteaceae
Hardwood
Country of Origin: New Zealand
The tree:
Rewarewa is a tall upright tree up to 30 m in height with a trunk up to 1 m in diameter. Its branches are erect, rigid, and crowded. Younger branchlets and twigs are angled and covered with rust-colored down. Thomas Kirk described the trees unusual form as follows:
when growing amongst a number of ordinary round-headed trees it produces that same effect in the landscape as that exhibited by the Lombardy poplar when growing amongst oak or ash, to which it affords a pleasant relief and a welcome contrast. This effect is well shown in the pockets of second-growth rewarewa in the area between Rotorua, Tauranga, and Whakatane. The species grows from sea level to 850 m throughout the North Island and also occurs in the Marlborough Sounds. It is sometimes called New Zealand honeysuckle.
The wood:
The dry sapwood of rewarewa is silvery pinkish brown. The heartwood is darker reddish to purplish brown, with very prominent medullary rays. Because of the latter, rewarewa is the easiest native timber to identity. The wood is very attractive in small doses. Rewarewa is an attractive wood for turnery, the pink or reddish colors making a pleasant change from the browns and yellows of most woods.
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