Meanings
- New ZealanduncountableA species of evergreen myrtle tree, Lophomyrtus bullata.
L. bullata (ramarama) is a beautiful shrub or small tree growing to about 5m.
1987, John Brack Mortimer, Trees for the New Zealand Countryside: A Planter's Guide, page 2413 more examples
The ramarama is the largest and most attractive of the New Zealand myrtles: it varies from a dwarf shrub to a small tree 30ft. in height, but is easily distinguished from all other indigenous plants by its reddish-brown leaves, the spaces between the veins of which are tumid or inflated, presenting a singular appearance, as if blistered.
1889, Thomas Kirk, “Myrtus bullata, Banks and Solander”, in The Forest Flora of New Zealand, page 267He mentioned a ramarama tree - this, he explained, was not the ramarama, or pepper-tree, of Murihiku, but was a tree like the rohutu, bearing black berries like the konini (fuchsia).
1994, James Herries beattie, Traditional Lifeways of the Southern MaoriWhen John-Paul Oliver reported his myrtle rust-infected ramarama tree to authorities, they sent him plastics bags and a wool fadge and told him to remove it himself.
2018 April 14, Elton Rikihana Smallman, “Property owner copes with myrtle rust on his own”, in Stuff NZ
Cite this entry
ramarama. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ramarama
“ramarama.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ramarama. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ramarama,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ramarama.
Source: ramarama on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.