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Xeronema callistemon
Xeronema callistemon is a species of flowering plant endemic to the Poor Knights Islands and Taranga Island in the north of New Zealand. It was discovered in 1924 and is also called raupōtaranga (te reo Māori) or Poor Knights lily. The plant is listed as vulnerable in the 1997 IUCN Red List of Plants, but As of April 2026 is not listed in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Xeronema callistemon usually grows on rhyolite sea cliffs and rocky outcrops and sometimes in forest. It requires much water and is pollinated by birds and butterflies. If its seed falls on a nearby tree, such as Metrosideros excelsa, then it may grow as an epiphyte on it. The species has no obvious natural enemies and is listed as vulnerable because it grows naturally only on two islands. These islands are protected by the New Zealand Government as nature reserves and have a limited access. However, the plant is becoming popular for cultivation in private gardens. A related species, Xeronema moorei, is found on the islands of New Caledonia, 1500 km to the northwest.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Xeronema callistemon by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
