About Pittosporum patulum Hook.fil.
Pittosporum patulum Hook.fil. is a small, gynodioecious tree in the Pittosporaceae family, that usually grows to a height of 5 meters (16.4 feet). Like the common lancewood and toothed lancewood, P. patulum is a heteroblastic plant, meaning it has distinct juvenile and adult growth forms. Juvenile plants grow as a single stem with cryptic coloration and narrow, serrated leaves. Adult P. patulum can reach a maximum height of 5 meters (16.4 feet). As they mature, they develop many spreading branches at the top, giving them a round-headed tree shape. P. patulum is restricted to sub-alpine sites in canopy gaps within mountain beech forest, located above 800 meters (2625 feet). Most adult plants grow in open, exposed sites such as avalanche terrain, river margins, and bluffs. The species is uncommon and may be threatened by grazing and non-native herbivores.
