Clianthus magnificus

Clianthus magnificus, commonly known as kaka beak, is a woody legume shrub native to New Zealand's North Island. It is one of two species of Clianthus and both have striking clusters of red flowers which resemble the beak of the kaka, a New Zealand parrot.

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C. magnificus is a small woody shrub which grows to 1.5–6 metres high. It has glossy green leaves and dark scarlet flowers which appear between August and December. The flowers hang in clusters of 15–20 blooms. The leaves are fern-like, with 15–30 pairs of evenly spaced glossy dark green leaflets. The stems are a soft wood and are easily broken. A single parent plant can cover a larger area, as its long, trailing stems can form new plants when they reach the soil. It is short-lived, lasting only 15–20 years. It produces a green pea-like pod that will split when ripe to release its small and hard seeds, which are wind dispersed. The seeds are long-lived, and may still be viable after 30 years. They germinate in response to light gaps, enabling the plant to survive in semi-open environments. As C. magnificus is a member of the pea family, it can perform nitrogen fixation.