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''Clianthus'', commonly known as kakabeak (''Kōwhai ngutukākā'' in Māori), is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family Fabaceae, comprising two species of shrubs native to New Zealand. They have striking clusters of red flowers which resemble the beak of the kākā, a New Zealand parrot. The plants are also known as parrot's beak, parrot's bill and lobster claw - all references to the distinctive flowers. There is also a variety with white to creamy coloured flowers. The two species are the critically endangered ''Clianthus puniceus'' which is now known in the wild only on Moturemu Island in the Kaipara Harbour, and the endangered ''Clianthus maximus''. In a 2005 survey, only 153 plants of ''C. maximus'' were found (down from over 1000 in 1996), mainly in the East Cape region.〔(Wild kakabeak close to extinction ), New Zealand Biodiversity, 23 December 2005. Retrieved 28 July 2008.〕 ''C. maximus'' is widely grown as a garden plant in New Zealand, but the cultivated lines are descended from only a few plants and are not genetically diverse. Kakabeak grows to around two metres high, with spreading branches producing leaf stalks up to 15 cm long bearing several pairs of small leaflets. They usually flower from spring through to early summer, but can flower twice a year or even year round.〔"''Kakabeak''", pp. 168-169 in Gerard Hutching's ''The Natural World of New Zealand'', Penguin Books (NZ) Ltd, 1998. ISBN 0-670-87782-4〕 Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander collected specimens of ''Clianthus'' in 1769 and ''C. puniceus'' was described in 1835. William Colenso identified two species of ''Clianthus'' as early as 1847 and described ''C. maximus'' in 1885. However Thomas Kirk reduced ''C. maximus'' to a variety of ''C. puniceus'' in 1899. Peter Heenan reinstated ''C. maximus'' as a separate species in 2000. ''Clianthus'' forms a clade with the genus ''Carmichaelia'', New Zealand broom. Together they form a larger clade with the Australian genus ''Swainsona'' and the New Zealand ''Montigena'' (scree pea). Sturt's desert pea, ''Swainsona formosa'', has some similarities to kakabeak and was initially placed in the genus ''Clianthus''. The fourth genus of New Zealand native legumes is ''Sophora'', represented by eight species of kowhai.〔(Taxonomy of New Zealand Native Legumes ). Retrieved 7 April 2006.〕 Kakabeak featured on New Zealand's definitive stamps from 1960 to 1969, initially on the pre-decimal 2d stamp, and then on its replacement 2c stamp from 1967. The floral emblem of South Australia,〔http://www.about-australia.com/facts/south-australia-flags-emblems/〕 ''Swainsona formosa'', formerly Clianthus dampieri, is similar. ==Gallery== Image:CPuniceusDrawing.jpg|Botanical illustration from Cook's first voyage Image:Clianthus puniceus2.jpg|Variety with white flowers 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Clianthus」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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