Metrosideros

Metrosideros (; ) is a genus of approximately 60 trees, shrubs, and vines in the family Myrtaceae, mostly found in the Pacific region. Most of the tree forms are small, but some are exceptionally large, the New Zealand species in particular. The name derives from the Ancient Greek metra or "heartwood" and sideron or "iron". Perhaps the best-known species are the pōhutukawa (M. excelsa), northern rātā (M. robusta) and southern rātā (M. umbellata) of New Zealand, and ōhia lehua (M. polymorpha) from the Hawaiian Islands.

==Distribution== left|thumb|A young pōhutukawa (M. excelsa) in flower at Ōhope, in the Bay of Plenty, [[New Zealand]] Metrosideros is one of the most widely spread flowering plant genera in the Pacific. New Caledonia has 21 species, New Zealand has 12, New Guinea has seven and Hawaii has 5. The genus is present on most other high Pacific Islands, including Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, Samoa, Cook Islands, French Polynesia, Bonin Islands and Lord Howe Island, but absent from Micronesia. The genus is also represented by one species in the Philippines, one in South America (Chile and Argentina), and one outlier in South Africa.