Metrosideros kermadecensis

Metrosideros kermadecensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Metrosideros
Species:
M. kermadecensis
Binomial name
Metrosideros kermadecensis

Metrosideros kermadecensis, commonly known as the Kermadec pōhutukawa, is a species of tree in the family Myrtaceae. It is endemic to the Kermadec Islands of New Zealand. It reaches a height of up to 20 metres (70 feet), with its main trunk reaching 3 m (10 ft) in diameter. The species is classified in the subgenus Metrosideros. M. kermadecensis was first described by the British botanist Joseph Dalton Hooker in 1864, and was described as Metrosideros polymorpha. It was given its current binomial name in 1928 by the New Zealand botanist Walter Oliver.

Metrosideros kermadecensis has been recorded to be browsed by introduced goats, mostly consuming the more accessible parts of the tree, such as the seedlings, shoots, and trunks, which consist of about 32 percent of their diet. M. kermadecensis, along with numerous other species (primarily from the family Myrtaceae), have been facing an ongoing threat from myrtle rust, an invasive species of fungus. M. kermadecensis's conservation status was assessed by the IUCN Red List in 2023 as "Vulnerable", and its population trend was assessed as "Decreasing".