Beilschmiedia tawa

Beilschmiedia tawa, the tawa, is a tall evergreen canopy tree in the family Lauraceae endemic to the North Island and northern South Island of New Zealand, where it is one of the dominant species in lowland and lower-montane podocarp-broadleaf forest. Mature trees reach 20-30 m in height with a slender, straight trunk and a relatively narrow crown of drooping, willow-like foliage; the bark is smooth, dark grey, and finely flecked. The alternate leaves are narrowly lanceolate, 5-10 cm long, glossy dark green above, pale beneath, and slightly sickle-shaped. Inconspicuous greenish-yellow flowers in slender axillary panicles open in spring. The large, ellipsoidal, plum-like fruits, 2-3 cm long, ripen from green through red to deep purple and contain a single large stony seed. They are an important food for kereru (native pigeon), which is the principal disperser.