Pittosporum Patulum Flowers on Brown Fabric bypennyroyal

Pittosporum patulum is a small tree that grows up to six metres high, in sub-alpine scrub and mountain beech forest in the South Island. Pittosporum patulum is found only in the eastern South Island, occurring in northwest Nelson and sporadically from inland Marlborough to Wanaka. It occurs in sub-alpine scrub and in canopy gaps of mountain beech forest above 800 metres. It is sometimes locally common as a juvenile in the understory and occasionally forms a small tree in the sub-canopy. Most adult plants are found at open sites– avalanche terrain, river margins, on bluffs or above the tree line. Pittosporum patulum is notable for having distinctly different juvenile and adult stages of growth. Juveniles have a single stem, with sparse branches and dark, narrow leaves that are toothed along the edges.