half is cupped by the remains of calyx. The berry contains many seeds in three to five compartments, each seed 1–2 mm long with a netted outer skin. Taxonomy Carpodetus and its type species C. serratus were first described by father and son Forster in 1773 and placed in the Saxifragaceae. In 1934 it was assigned to the newly created Escalloniaceae by Hutchinson in his major revision of the dicotyledon families. In the APG III system, Carpodetus has been referred to the Rousseaceae. Etymology Carpodetus is derived from the Greek words καρπός (karpos) 'fruit' and detus (bound together), a reference that the seeds are bound together in clusters in the berry. The species epithet serratus is Latin and means shaped like a saw, from serra (saw). The Māori name refers to the fact that often shelter in old burrows of pūriri caterpillars. The fact that freshly cut wood contains so much sap that it is difficult to burn gave rise to the name bucket-of-water-tree. Ecology This tree prefers moist broadleaf forest and is locally common in Nothofagus-forest. It also frequently occurs in secondary forest, forest margins and along streams. The caterpillars of the pūriri moth (Aenetus virescens) feed on the cambium thus creating characteristic diamond-shaped feeding scars. The entrance of the burrow is hidden by a web spun by the caterpillar. Trees may be weakened by a high density of caterpillars, particularly if the trunks are still thin. The workers of Prolasius advenus (small brown bush ant) feed on the sap trickling from the wounds in the tree caused by the caterpillars. When the pūriri moth caterpillar has left the hole is used by tree wētā (Hemideina spp.) as a daytime refuge. At night the tree wētā eat the leaves and fruits of the tree - explaining why this species is called kaiwētā by Tūhoe iwi. Cultivation Marbleleaf adapts well to garden use and is widely cultivated in New Zealand. It remains a compact, rounded shrub for several years before finally developing its adult tree-like form. Marbleleaf may be trimmed to keep it compact and bushy. Well grown plants will flower heavily. As far as can be ascertained there are no commercially distributed Carpodetus serratus cultivars. References Trees of New Zealand Plants described in 1773 Rousseaceae