Pennantia corymbosa, commonly known as kaikomako (from the Māori kaikōmako), is a small dioecious tree endemic to New Zealand.

Small, creamy flowers are produced between November and February, followed by a shiny black fruit in autumn.

Traditionally, Māori used the tree to make fire by repeatedly rubbing a pointed stick into a groove on a piece of māhoe.

Kaikōmako is found in lowland forests and coastal areas as it prefers milder temperatures.

Beddie also noted that they had almost no adult growth at all, and that there were no fruits found lower than 1.5 metres (4.9 feet) off the ground.

[8] Heteroblastic development occurs when the plant undergoes an abrupt change which can be in its form and its function.

[3] Beddie shows photos of Kaikōmako twigs which have adult, intermediate and juvenile foliage, yet they're all fruiting.

[3] Beddie also mentioned that because of Kaikōmako's precocious fruiting, as it had confused a lot of early experienced botanists.

[12] Honey bees also feed on and collect the nectar of the Kaikōmako tree when it is flowering (November to February).

[15] Māori made fire by friction and used Kaikomako as te hika (rubbing stick).

Kaikōmako was used as it is a hard and durable wood and was rubbed with obsidian or a shell to make the stick sharp and then was used with Mahoe (another native New Zealand tree) by rubbing the Kaikōmako stick into the grooves of the Mahoe to make fire.