■44 FLORA OF NEW ZEALAND. [_Ooriarieoe.
A shrub, 6-8 feet high, with slender ftviggy branches, and scattered small leaves. Petioles inch long,
broader above and channelled, almost winged. Leaflet one, 4-|- inch long, smooth, dotted, sometimes obscurely
pubescent, ovate, blunt, doubly crenate. Pedicels several together, axillary, slender, longer than the petioles, each
beai-ing a very small green flower, sometimes forked or tricbotomous, bearing small bracteolte at the fork. Petals
linear-oblong. Stamens longer than the coroUa; four shorter than the others, according to Mr. Cunningham. Ovaiy
oblong, usually an with elongated style. Fruit as in M. ternata, but much smaller.—I have occasionally seen
three leaflets upon a petiole, but this is very rare; the lateral ones in this case were much the smallest.
Gen. II . PHEBALIUM, Vent.
Calyx parvus, 5-lobus. Petala 5, linearía. Stamina 10, petalis longiora, alterna breviora. Ovaria
5, sessilia, 1-locularia; loculis 2-ovulatis; stylo elongato, gracili; stigmate simplici. Carpella 5, coriácea,
1 -locularia, 2-valvia, l-sperma.
A large Australian and Tasmanian genus, containing many species ; one only is a native of New Zealand. It
forms a shrub or small tree, 12-15 feet high, with twiggy branches and alternate leaves, smooth in every part.
Leaves linear-lanceolate or oblong, blunt, narrowed into very short petioles, l- l - i inch long, coriaceous, obscurely
creuated, paler and dotted below. Flowers numerous, 4 inch across, in terminal corymbs, pale-coloured, on short
pedicels 2-3 lines long. Calyx very small, five-toothed. Petals four, linear, blimt, between valvate and imbricate
when iu bud. Stamens ten, long and exserted, on slender filaments. Ovaries five, very small, placed close together
and having but one slender simple style, each one-celled, with two ovules. Fruit of five spreading coriaceous
wrinkled carpels, of which one to three are often abortive, each is one-celled, two-valved, splitting first down
the front. (Name adopted by Ventenat, under the eiToneons impression that this genus was allied to the
Myrtle, which bears the same name in the works of some Greek comic poets.)
1. Phebalium nudum, Hook.; glaberrimum, foliis linearibus lineari-oblongisve obtusis subcrenatis
punctatis, floribus in corymbiim terminalem dispositis. Hooh. Ic. Plant. ¿.568.
H ab. Northern Island. Bay of Islands, A. Ctmninghamj East Coast, Colenso, FJdgerley ; Auckland,
Sinclair.
N a t . O r d . XX. COHIAHIEÆ, BC.
Gen. I. CORIARIA, Niss.
Flores hermaphroditi v. abortu 1-sexuales. Calyx 5-partitus. Petala 5, parva v. glandulieformia.
Stamina 10, hypogyna. Carpella 5-6, 1-locularia; ovulo solitario, péndulo; stylis 5-6, filiformibus.
Carpella perianthio carnoso incrassato inclusa, Crustacea. Semina péndula, exalbuminosa; embryo
rectus; cotyledonibus camosis; radicula brevi, hilo próxima.
SmaU trees or shrubs, generally with trailing or straggling branches, smooth, opposite, sessile, three- to five-
uerved leaves, and axillary racemes of many flowers. Flowers pedicellate, bracteated. Calyx hemispherical, five-
lobed. Petals five, small, Uke glands, becoming fleshy, and surrounding the fruit. Stamens ten, with short
filaments, and large two-lobed anthers. Ovaries about five, almost united into one, each with a filiform spreading
style, one-celled; cells with one pendulous ovule. Fruit baccate, from being surrounded by the fleshy petals, of five
crustaceous carpels, each containing a solitary pendulous exalbuminous seed.—This genus contains but few species ;
possibly only two (of which one presents two varieties, described below as two species), both of which are common
to South America and New Zealand; the other is a European plant, apparently also found in the Himalaya
Mountains. The genus is unknown in Australia, Polynesia, North America, and Africa. The proper place of this
Bhamne<sf\ FLORA OF NEW ZEjVLAND. 45
plant in the Natural System has been much disputed, it having apparent claims to rank near Chenopodieæ and Phyto-
lacceæ, though stronger, on the whole, to be retained near Rutaceæ. (Name from corkm, leather ; the bark being
used for tanning.)
1. Coriaria ruscifolia, Linn.; foliis magnis oblongo-ovatis ovato-cordatisve acutis v. acuminatis
3-5-nerriis, racemis elongatis nutaiitibus. C. sarmeiitosa, Pro*-.7). 377. DC. Prodr. A. Uich.
Flora. A. Cnmi. Prodr. Hook. Bot. Mag. t. 2470. C. hermaplirodita. Banks et Sol. MSS. et Ic.
Hab. Wortliem and Middle Islands, abundant, Forster, etc. Nat. name, “ Tupa-kilii,” Colenso.
“ Tutu” and “ Pubou” of Southern Island, Lyall. (Cultivated in England.)
A slu-ub, 10-14 feet high, with long flagellate four-angled branches, and a trunk sometimes 6-8 inches
diameter. The leaves are pretty constantly oblong-ovate, acuminate, sessile or upon very short petioles, 3-4 inches
long. Bttcemes slightly pubescent, axülary, 8-12 inches long, gracefully di-ooping; pedicels -A inch long, with a
small subulate bract at tbe base. Mowers small, green. Calyx lobes broadly ovate, subacute. Petals small, fleshy.
Stawmns on filiform filaments ; anthers sometimes abortive in what hence become female flowers ; but I think the
plant is usually hermaphrodite.—Mr. Cunningham describes the flowers as unisexual, and the petals as glands. The
amount of swelling of these glands, which finally enclose the ripe carpels and give the fruit the appearance of a berry,
varies much. Mr. Colenso, however, considers this a character of importanee, and states that the less juicy berries
have seeds that are not poisonous ; but I do not find these characters united with any botanical ones. The fruit
yields a purple juice, which is grateful, and much liked by the natives, but soon ferments. A wine may also be
made from it, tasting very like elder-berry wine. The seeds are considered poisonous, producing convulsions,
delirium, and sometimes death. De Candolle states that the like effects were produced upon the French army
in Catalonia by the seeds of 0. myrtifoUa. The present species seems identical with the South American one,
which abounds in South Chili.
2. Coriaria thymifolm, Humb. ; M is parvis (vel minimis) ovatis acimiinatis laiioeolatis linearibusve
1-5-nerviis glabris pubescentibusve. Hnmboldt in Willdenow. LC. Prodr. v. l . p . 739.
H ab. Northern and Middle Islands; not so abundant as C. ruscifolia, and aifecting drier localities.
East coast and interior, Colenso. Nelson, Bidwill. Milford Sound, Lyall.
A small shrub, with much smaUer, longer, and sharper leaves than the former, of wliich it is most probably a
variety, judging both from South American and New Zealand specimens, which do not materially differ from one
another. The American have generally broader leaves than this plant, more i-esembhng those of C. ruscifolia, but
constantly smaller. In New Zealand, though often quite narrow and linear-lanceolate, they present all gradations of
size, from i-1 inch long, and of form between lanceolate and oblong-ovate. The plant varies much in pubescence ;
the flowers differ in no respect from those of C. ruscifolia. In America it ranges from Mexico to Peru, and is apparently
a mountain plant, found at elevations of 4000 to 12,000 feet.
iiÉ
N at, Or d . XXL RHAMNEvE, Br.
Gen. I. POMADBEllIS, Lab.
Calycis tubus obcoiiicus v. hemispluDricus, ovarii basi comiatus; lobis 5, intus glabris, Petala 0 v. 5 ,
parva, erecta. Stamina 5, petabs opposita. Ovarium -J-supcrum, villosiun, 3-locnlare; ovulis loculis
so itanis erectis; stylo 3-fido. Capsula calycis tubo basi vestita, 3-cocca, cocéis indeliiscentibus; semi-
nibus erectis, funiculo brevi incrassato cupulícforini.
A large genus, composed almost entirely of New Holland and Tasmanian erect or branching pubescent shrubs,
0 u uch two speeies arc common in New Zealand. Leaves alternate. Flowers paniculate or corj'mliosc, rather small.
ayx airy, with a short tube and five spreading lobes, smooth inside. Petals small, erect, placed on the calyx.