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N a t . O r d . L I L S A P O T E Æ , J u s s .
Gen. I. SAPOTA, Flum.
Sepala 4 -6 , imbricata. Corolla tubuloso-campanulata, ad medium 4 -6 -loba; lobis appendicibus subulatis
alternantibus. 4 -6 , corollæ lobis inserta ; filamentis brevibus ; antheris extrorsis.. Ovarium
ovoideum V. globosum, 4 -1 2-loeulare. erectus, glaber. inclusum. OywJa solitaria. Bacca
1-pauci-locularis. Semen nucumentaceum ; testa ossea, nitida ; albumen carnosum ; cotiledones amplæ,
foliaceæ.
The only New Zealand species forms a small tree 20 feet high, with bright evergreen foliage, and solitary inconspicuous
pedicellate flowers scattered along the branchlets, distant from the axils of the leaves, but at the scars of
those that have fallen away. Young branches hoary, with very inconspicuous appressed down. Leaves quite glabrous
except the petiole and base, which are downy, petiolate, 2-3 inches long, coriaceous, elliptical-obovate, blunt,
reticulately veined on both surfaces. Pedicels stout, curved, 4 inch long. Flowers (some perfect, others neuter, and
some apparently female only) globose, 4 iuch diameter, never spreading open. Calyx of four (rarely five) orbicular,
imbricate, unequal, concave, ciliated, fleshy pieces. Corolla tubular, with four imbricate lobes, erect, projecting
a little beyond the calyx, and with an ovate subulate fleshy scale placed in front of the junction of each
pair of lobes. Stamens short, small, sunk in the hollow face of the petals. Filaments broad, fleshy. Anthers
bursting by slits opening towards the petal. Ovary very hairy, globose, with stout erect style and simple stigma,
four-celled. Ovules solitary, suspended by broad ventral cords from the middle of the inner angle of each cell.
Fruit an oblong or round one-celled berry, variable in size and shape, often as large as a walnut, containing one
elliptical, long, flattened, chestnut-brown, polished seed, with a bony testa, marked with a broad, flat, rough line down
the inner side, by which it is attached to the cavity of the pericarp. Inner coat much veined, membranous. Albumen
fleshy ; embryo as broad and long as the albumen, of two thin ovate cotyledons, and a terete radicle pointing
downwards. At the upper extremity of the rough mark ou the testa is a little hole, through which the nuti'ient
vessels of the cord go. The neuter (?) flowers have short, ovate, concave, fleshy petals, scarcely united at the base,
and flat, short, rudimentary anthers, and an ovate blunt ovarium without stigma or style, containing four cells,
which are confluent at the top, the ovules hanging from a little central column just below the point of confluence.
In the male flowers, the ovary has the same characters, but the petals are larger and the stamens perfect.—The
genus Sapota consists chiefly of tropical Asiatic, African, and American plants, a few being Australian, Cape of Good
Hope, and North American. Most have milky juice, which forms the “ Gutta percha ” of the allied genus Isonandra.
The bark of many k bitter and a febrifuge, and their seeds often yield abundance of oil by pressure. The Star-
apple, Sapodilla plum, and many other tropical fi-uits belong to this genus and order, whilst the seeds of some of
them are reputed poisonous, but being enclosed in a hard bony testa do not prevent the use of the fiodt containing
them. (Name, the West Indian for one species that produces an excellent fruit.)
1. Sapota costata, Alph. DC.; ramulis appresse puberulis, foliis obovatis obtusis breve petiolatis
glaberrimis utrinque venosis, floribus (stirp. Nov. Zeland.) tetrameris (Norf. Ins.) pentameris, ovario 4-5-
loculari, bacca 1-loculari, semine lineari-elliptico utrinque subacuto. Alph. BC. Prodr. v. 8. p . 175. Endl.
Prodr. Fl. Norf. Isld. p . 49. Icon. Gen. t. 4240. A. Cunn. Prodr.
H a b . Northern Island. Wangarei Bay, Colenso. Coast opposite the Cavallos Islands, It. Cunningham.
Nat. name, “ Tawaapou,” Col.
This seems identical with specimens of Achras costata, Endl. in Hook. Herb., except that tbe flowers are aD
but uniformly tetramerous (uot pentamerous). The plate in Endlicher’s ‘ Iconographia’ is a very bad representation of
the foliage of this, if it belong to the same species, the leaves being represented as linear and blunt, and their veins
at right angles with the costa.
N a t . O r d . LIII. OLEINEÆ, E o f f.
Gen. I. OLEA, L.
Calyx monophyDus, irregulariter lobatus. Corolla monopetala v. 0. Brupa baccata.— Species Novæ
Zelandiæ arborescentes ; polygamo-dioicis ; calyce urceolari, petalisque 0.
A genus of shrubs or large trees, to which the European Olive belongs ; it has three New Zealand representatives,
belonging to Endlicher’s section Gymnélæa, aD forming trees, with exceedingly variable evergreen leaves, and
all having, as far as I have observed, very imperfect apetalous unisexual flowers, the stamens in the female flowers
bearing no poDeu, and the ovarium in the male flowers being rudimentary. Branches with white bark. Leaves opposite
or alternate, exstipulate, evergreen, entire. Flowers inconspicuous, in axiDary short panicles. Male calyx
unequaDy two- to four-lobed. Stamens two, opposite, with large exserted anthers, opening by lateral slits. Calyx
of the female fiower larger, urceolate, unequaDy four-lobed, with two included compressed anthers and an oblong ovary,
with one short style and two curved stigmas. Ovary two-ceDed, each ceD with two suspended ovules. Fruit an
oblong drupe, one- or two-celled, generaDy ripening only one seed.—A few species of this genus are found in Australia,
and one in Norfolk Island ; the latter is also a Gymnelæa, and the only species of this section found out of
New Zealand. Numerous species are scattered over the temperate and tropical regions of the globe. Many have
hard exceUent wood, and some very fragrant flowers, such as that which is used by the Chinese to give fragi-ance to
Tea. The European Olive may no doubt be cultivated with success in Australia and in the warmer, drier parts of New
Zealand. (Name, Olea in Latin ; of the same root with eXata in Greek; olew in Celtic; and olivier in French ;
Oelbaum, German; oil, English.)
1. Olea Cunninghamii, Hook. fil.; arbor excelsa, ramulis noveUis pubescentibus, foliis 3-5-uncialibus
coriaceis ovato- v. oblongo- v. elongato-lanceolatis linearibusve obtusis, venis (sicco) pancis divaricatis non-
reticulatis pagina superiore impressis, racemis pubescenti-tomentosis brevibus 10-15-floris, floribus breve
pedicellatis, fl. calyce 4-lobo, lobis 2 dentiformibus, filamentis elongatis, ? coroUa urceolari irregulariter 4-
fida, staminibus brevibus, fructu ovoideo baccato. Olea apetala, A. Cunn. Prodr. non Yahl nec Endl.
Prodr. Flor. Ins. Norf., etc.
H a b . Northern and eastern parts of the Northern Island, Banks and Solander, Cunningham, Colenso.
Nat. name, “ Maire raunui," Col.
A tree about 50 feet high, unbranched below. Leaves very coriaceous, variable in shape; on young trees narrow,
hnear, 9 inches long; on fuUy-grown, linear-ovate, oblong-lanceolate or elliptical-oblong, blunt, aD petiolate,
3-5 inches long, margin recurved when dry. Racemes opposite, rising from the branches below the leaves, I - I 4
inch long, straight, with a stout hairy rachis and short peduncles. Flowers distichous; pedicels as long as the
calyx, hairy, with a large ovate concave bract at the base; males the smaDest, with a four-lobed corolla, two smaD
lobes, and two much larger opposite the stamens ; female flowers wdth an urceolate unequaDy four-lobed calyx, l a-
line long, two anthers bearing no pollen, and an obloug ovarium, with two exserted stigmata. Berry obbquely
ovoid, 4 inch long, red, seated on the persistent calyx, containing a single crustaceous or bony one-ceDed one-seeded
nut; a slit in the wall of the nut shows the position of the second ceD, wRich ripens no seed.—ilr . Cunningham
considered this plant to be the same as the 0. apetala (“ iron wood”) of Norfolk Island, from which it differs iu
the narrower leaves, hairy racemes, and more shortly pediceDed flowers. Vahl, though he gives New Zealand as a
habitat for 0. apetala, describes the Norfolk Island plant.