Isolation of maltol glucoside from the floral nectar of New Zealand mānuka (Leptospermum scoparium)

Abstract Leptospermum scoparium (Myrtaceae) is a morphologically highly variable species found in mainland Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand. For example, in New Zealand up to six morphologically distinct varieties of this species have been described, although only two (var. scoparium and var. incanum) are now formally recognized. In the present study we provide a first examination of genetic diversity in this culturally and commercially important species with the aim of gaining insights into its origins and evolution. We used anchored hybrid enrichment to acquire sequence data from 485 orthologous low-copy nuclear loci for 27 New Zealand and three Australian accessions of L. scoparium and representatives of several other Leptospermum spp. The final concatenated data matrix contained 421 687 nucleotide positions of which 55 102 were potentially informative. Despite the relative large data set, our analyses suggest that a combination of low and incompatible data signal limits the resolution of relationships among New Zealand populations of L. scoparium. Nevertheless, our analyses are consistent with genetic diversity being geographically structured, with three groups of L. scoparium recovered. We discuss the evolutionary and taxonomic implications of our findings.

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VI.—Notes on the Graptolite-bearing Rocks of New Zealand

Geological Magazine ◽

10.1017/s0016756800121508 ◽

1909 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

pp. 74-75

Author(s):

E. Douglass Isaacson

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Land Surface ◽

Western Coast ◽

Forest Trees ◽

The West ◽

North West ◽

Stunted Growth ◽

Extreme North ◽

North And South ◽

Leptospermum Scoparium

The series of beds containing graptolites in New Zealand occur in the Whakamarama district, which is situated in almost the extreme north-west of the South Island. They consist of intercalated bands of quartzite and carbonaceous argillites, with a north and south strike and dipping at a low angle to the west. As a result of the natural erosion of the land surface taking place more rapidly in the slaty layers than in the harder quartzites, the ridges and stream valleys exhibit a noticeable parallelism, those streams which enter the sea on the western coast usually taking a very sharp bend to the west, and with a somewhat gorgy channel to the sea. The valleys are for the most part densely clothed with forest trees, while the ridges of quartzite are barren, with the exception of a stunted growth of manuka (Leptospermum scoparium and L. ericoides), and in places a covering of peat to a depth of a few inches.

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Genome-wide patterns of genetic diversity, population structure and demographic history in mānuka (Leptospermum scoparium) grown on indigenous Māori land

10.22541/au.161912114.47713005/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Emily Koot ◽

Elise Arnst ◽

Melissa Taane ◽

Kelsey Goldsmith ◽

Peri Tobias ◽

...

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Demographic History ◽

Gene Pools ◽

Phylogenetic Studies ◽

Aotearoa New Zealand ◽

Genome Wide ◽

History Of ◽

Demographic Modelling ◽

Management And Conservation ◽

Leptospermum Scoparium

Leptospermum scoparium J. R. Forst et G. Forst, known as mānuka by Māori, the indigenous people of Aotearoa (New Zealand), is a culturally and economically significant shrub species, native to New Zealand and Australia. Chemical, morphological and phylogenetic studies have indicated geographical variation of mānuka across its range in New Zealand, and genetic differentiation between New Zealand and Australia. We used pooled whole genome re-sequencing of 76 L. scoparium and outgroup populations from New Zealand and Australia to compile a dataset totalling ~2.5 million SNPs. We explored the genetic structure and relatedness of L. scoparium across New Zealand, and between populations in New Zealand and Australia, as well as the complex demographic history of this species. Our population genomic investigation suggests there are five geographically distinct mānuka gene pools within New Zealand, with evidence of gene flow occurring between these pools. Demographic modelling suggests three of these gene pools have undergone expansion events, whilst the evolutionary histories of the remaining two have been subjected to contractions. Furthermore, mānuka populations in New Zealand are genetically distinct from populations in Australia, with coalescent modelling suggesting these two clades diverged ~9 –12 million years ago. We discuss the evolutionary history of this species and the benefits of using pool-seq for such studies. Our research will support the management and conservation of mānuka by landowners, particularly Māori, and the development of a provenance story for the branding of mānuka based products.

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Nitrogen and carbon cycling in a New Zealand pumice soil under a manuka (Leptospermum scoparium) and kanuka (Kunzea ericoides) shrubland

Soil Research ◽

10.1071/sr08261 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 47 (7) ◽

pp. 725 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

D. J. Ross ◽

N. A. Scott ◽

S. M. Lambie ◽

C. M. Trotter ◽

N. J. Rodda ◽

...

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Mineral Soil ◽

N Cycling ◽

Stand Age ◽

Forest Site ◽

N Availability ◽

Volcanic Soils ◽

Total N ◽

Kunzea Ericoides ◽

Leptospermum Scoparium

Shrubland communities dominated by manuka (Leptospermum scoparium J. Forst. and G. Forst.) and kanuka (Kunzea ericoides var. ericoides ((A. Rich) J. Thompson) are widespread throughout New Zealand. They frequently colonise disturbed land surfaces and are important for erosion mitigation, and also for their capacity to act as a carbon (C) sink. We here investigate C and nitrogen (N) cycling in 3 stands (~26–56 years old) that had established on a repeatedly burned forest site on a Podzolic Orthic Pumice soil in the Turangi area, central North Island. For comparison, limited measurements of N cycling were also made at other manuka–kanuka sites on non-volcanic soils. Leaf N concentrations at the Turangi site were 11.8–13.9 g/kg, and lower than those at many of the other manuka–kanuka stands. Total annual litterfall and N content increased with stand age, as did total N concentrations in FH material and mineral soil (0–100 mm depth). Total C concentrations in mineral soil did not, however, differ significantly in the 3 stands. Levels of soil microbial C and N, rates of carbon dioxide production, and metabolic coefficients (qCO2 values) suggest C cycling could be fairly rapid at this site. In contrast, rates of net mineral-N and nitrate-N production were low to very low compared with those in similar pumice soils under angiosperm–conifer forests, and in the non-volcanic soils under other manuka–kanuka stands. Low N availability and tight N cycling at the Turangi site are thereby strongly suggested. No definitive explanation for the atypically low N availability at this site is apparent, although the possible effects of previous forest burnings may have been a contributing factor. The continued growth of these shrubs, nevertheless, shows they can compete successfully for the N that does become available through gross N mineralisation in the Turangi ecosystem.

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Simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers for New Zealand mānuka (Leptospermum scoparium) and transferability to kānuka (Kunzea spp.)

New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science ◽

10.1080/01140671.2017.1298631 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 45 (3) ◽

pp. 216-222 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

David Chagné ◽

Amali Thrimawithana ◽

Deepa Bowatte ◽

Elena Hilario ◽

Ross Crowhurst ◽

...

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Ssr Markers ◽

Simple Sequence Repeat ◽

Sequence Repeat ◽

Simple Sequence ◽

Leptospermum Scoparium

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Resistance of New Zealand Provenance Leptospermum scoparium, Kunzea robusta, Kunzea linearis, and Metrosideros excelsa to Austropuccinia psidii

Plant Disease ◽

10.1094/pdis-11-19-2302-re ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 104 (6) ◽

pp. 1771-1780 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Grant R. Smith ◽

Beccy J. Ganley ◽

David Chagné ◽

Jayanthi Nadarajan ◽

Ranjith N. Pathirana ◽

...

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Resistance Mechanisms ◽

Rust Disease ◽

Disease Symptoms ◽

Stem Infection ◽

Stem Resistance ◽

New Finding ◽

Austropuccinia Psidii ◽

Assessment Scales ◽

Leptospermum Scoparium

Resistance to the pandemic strain of Austropuccinia psidii was identified in New Zealand provenance Leptospermum scoparium, Kunzea robusta, and K. linearis plants. Only 1 Metrosideros excelsa-resistant plant was found (of the 570 tested) and no resistant plants of either Lophomyrtus bullata or L. obcordata were found. Three types of resistance were identified in Leptospermum scoparium. The first two, a putative immune response and a hypersensitive response, are leaf resistance mechanisms found in other myrtaceous species while on the lateral and main stems a putative immune stem resistance was also observed. Both leaf and stem infection were found on K. robusta and K. linearis plants as well as branch tip dieback that developed on almost 50% of the plants. L. scoparium, K. robusta, and K. linearis are the first myrtaceous species where consistent infection of stems has been observed in artificial inoculation trials. This new finding and the first observation of significant branch tip dieback of plants of the two Kunzea spp. resulted in the development of two new myrtle rust disease severity assessment scales. Significant seed family and provenance effects were found in L. scoparium, K. robusta, and K. linearis: some families produced significantly more plants with leaf, stem, and (in Kunzea spp.) branch tip dieback resistance, and provenances provided different percentages of resistant families and plants. The distribution of the disease symptoms on plants from the same seed family, and between plants from different seed families, suggested that the leaf, stem, and branch tip dieback resistances were the result of independent disease resistance mechanisms.

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