Plagianthus regius

{{Short description|Species of tree}}

{{Italic title}}

{{Speciesbox

| name = Ribbonwood/manatu

| image = Plagianthus regius 11.JPG

| image_caption =

| status = LC

| status_system = IUCN3.1

| status_ref = {{cite iucn |last1=Marfleet |first1=K. |year=2020 |title=Plagianthus regius |volume=2020 |page=e.T62750A161483624 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T62750A161483624.en |access-date=11 January 2025}}

| genus = Plagianthus

| species = regius

| authority = (Poit.) Hochr. (1907)

}}

Plagianthus regius or lowland ribbonwood is a tree that is endemic to New Zealand.Melville, R. 1966: "Contributions to the Flora of Australia: VII. Generic Delimitation in the Plagianthus Complex." Kew Bulletin 20: 511-516 The common name is simply ribbonwood. The Māori name is mānatu but it is also known as manaui mānatu.

The juvenile form has bushy interlacing branches with small leaves, while an older tree will tend to have larger leaves, sometimes with the lower parts of tree still displaying divaricating leaves. A profusion of small white or green flowers appear in dense clusters in spring making it easier to distinguish from the similar lacebark genus. One of the distinctive aspects of this tree is that it is usually deciduous which is unusual for New Zealand, although in the northern areas it can be semi-deciduous.{{cite web|url=http://www.nznativeplants.co.nz/shop/Native+Plants+by+Botanical+Name/Plagianthus+regius.html|title=Plagianthus regius - Ribbonwood - Manatu - The Native Plant Centre|website=www.nznativeplants.co.nz|access-date=30 October 2017}} It is considered the largest of New Zealand's deciduous trees growing to 17 metres,{{cite web|last=Orwin|first=Joanna|date=1 Jul 2015|title=Ribbonwood|url=https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/13825/ribbonwood|access-date=2 June 2021|website=Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand}} and grows in the North, South and Stewart Islands. A subspecies from the Chatham Islands, Plagianthus regius subsp. chathamicus, is very similar but lacks the divaricating aspect.{{cite web|url=http://nzpcn.org.nz/flora_details.asp?ID=1142|title=Plagianthus regius subsp. regius - New Zealand Plant Conservation Network|website=nzpcn.org.nz|access-date=30 October 2017}}

The bark of the tree was used in Māori traditional textiles such as in fishing nets.{{Cite Q|Q58677501}}