I-pohutukawa (igama lezitshalo botanical Metrosideros excelsa) yi-New Zealand eyaziwa kakhulu futhi ebonakalayo isihlahla somuthi. Itholakala cishe yonke indawo ngasogwini olusenyakatho yeNorth Island, enyakatho yomugqa olinganiselwa ku- Gisborne ukuya eNew Plymouth nasezikhungweni ezikude eziseduze neRororua, eWellington kanye nenhla yeSouth Island. Kuye kwafakwa ezingxenyeni ezithile ze-Australia, iNingizimu Afrika neCalifornia.
Isihlahla Esingafaniyo
Isihlahla sinamandla okumamatheka ekunamatheleni emahlathini asezintabeni nasezintabeni futhi zikhule kwezinye izindawo ezibonakala zingenakwenzeka (kukhona ngisho nemithi ye-pohutukawa esiqhingini esiphezulu se-White Island e-Bay of Plenty). Ihlobene eduze kwesinye isihlahla somuthi waseNew Zealand, i-rata.
Ehunyushwe kusuka ku-Maori, i-pohutukawa isho ukuthi "ifafazwe yi-spray", okuyisibonakaliso esicacile ukuthi livame ukutholakala ogwini lolwandle.
Ngaphandle kokunikeza umthunzi owamukelekile wezilwandle zase-New Zealand ehlobo, ukukhanya kwezimbali ezibomvu okukhiqiza kusukela ngoNovemba kuya kuJanuwari kunikeze i-pohutukawa ilebula elithi "I-New Zealand Tree Tree". Ngokuqinisekile, ngezizukulwane zama-kiwis, i-pohutukawa yezimbali iyinye yezibonakaliso ezinkulu zekhefu likaKhisimusi. Eqinisweni kukhona izinhlobo eziningana ze-pohutukawa, okhiqiza izinhlobonhlobo zezimbali ezimibalabala, ezibomvu kuya e-peach.
Isihlahla siyabonakala futhi ngenxa yezimbali zayo eziphuthumayo; Izingxenye ezihlukene zomuthi ofanayo zingase zithole imbali ngezikhathi ezingafani.
Eminyakeni yamuva i-pohutukawa isongelwa yizilwane ezidla inyama, ikakhulukazi i-possum. Lesi silwane sasebusuku sathunyelwa kusukela e-Australia ngekhulu leshumi nesishiyagalolunye futhi sibangele kakhulu amahlathi eNew Zealand.
Njengoba kwenza nezinye izihlahla, i-possum idla amaqabunga e-pohutukawa, ihlubule. Imizamo emikhulu iyaqhubeka ukunciphisa izinombolo ze-possum kodwa zihlala zisongelwa njalo.
Umuthi wePohutukawa omkhulu kunazo zonke emhlabeni
E-Te Araroa ogwini olusempumalanga yeNorth Island, engaphezu kuka-170km ukusuka eGisborne, i-pohutukawa ekhethekile kakhulu. Yona muthi omkhulu kakhulu owaziwayo we-pohutukawa emhlabeni. Ima ngaphezu kwamamitha angu-21 ubude futhi endaweni yayo enkulu kunazo zonke ngamamitha angu-40 ububanzi. Umuthi ubizwa ngokuthi yi "Te-Waha-O-Rerekohu" yi-Maori wendawo futhi kulinganiselwa ukuthi uneminyaka engaphezu kuka-350 ubudala. Igama livela egameni lenkosi yendawo, uRerekohu, owayehlala kule ndawo.
Le pohutukawa ikhona ngezizathu zesikoleni sendawo, eduze nomngcele ogwini lolwandle. Kubonakala kakhulu emgwaqeni futhi "kufanele ubone" kulokhu okuzungeza i-East Cape kusukela opotiki kuya eGisborne . Awukude kakhulu ne-East Cape i-lookout ne-lighthouse, ehlala endaweni ephansi kakhulu eNew Zealand.
Mhlawumbe umuthi we-pohutukawa owaziwa kakhulu e-New Zealand usemaphethelweni enkampanini yezwe elisenyakatho, eCape Reinga . Le ndawo ibaluleke kakhulu ngokomoya kubantu baseMaori. Eyaziwa ngokuthi "indawo yokuqhaqhazela", okusho, ngokuvumelana nenkolelo yamaMaori, lapho lapho umoya uqala khona uhambo oluya eHawaiiki, ezweni labo lendabuko.
I-pohutukawa ayibonakali okuningi ngaphandle kweNew Zealand. Ngokuthakazelisayo, noma kunjalo, umuthi we-pohutukawa ungaphakathi kwenkinga ethile ebonisa ukuthi uKaputeni Cook kungenzeka ukuthi akayena owokuqala waseYurophu ukuba afike eNew Zealand. ELa Corunna , idolobha elisogwini elisenyakatho-ntshonalanga yeSpain, kukhona i-pohutukawa enkulu abantu abakholelwa ukuthi bayineminyaka engaba ngu-500 ubudala. Uma kunjalo kunjalo ngaphambi kokufika kukaCheka eNew Zealand ngo-1769. Ezinye izazi zikholelwa ukuthi lesi sihlahla sineminyaka engama-200 nje kuphela. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi uneminyaka engakanani, lesi sihlahla sinezifanekiselo zezimbali ezidolobheni.
Nomaphi lapho uya khona eNorth Island engenhla, i-pohutukawa iyisici esivelele futhi esihlukile esogwini lwaseNew Zealand. Futhi uma ulapha eduze noKhisimusi uzobona izimbali zayo ezimangalisayo.