m u
70 FLORA OF NEW ZEALAND. {Aîyrtaceoe.
prostraUm; caule prostrato, ramulis ascendentibus, foliis late ovatis orbiculatisve squarrosorecurvis.
Hab. Abundant tbrougbout the Islands. Fl. November. Var. S, on the mountains (stunted). Nat.
names, “ Kabi katoa" and “ Manuka." (Cultivated in England.)
A most common large shrub or small tree, with erect trunk (prostrate in the mountains), of very hard wood
and fastigiate branches, clothed with white flowers for two months. Branchlets and yomig leaves sUky. Leaves
very variable in shape, patent or recurved, 2 lines to f inch long, varying from linear-lanceolate in the largest states,
to orbicular in the stunted, sessile, always acuminate and pungent, rigid, concave, veinless, dotted. Floicers very
variable in size (^—f inch), sessile, solitary, axillary or on terminal short branches. Calyx short, broadly turbinate,
smooth, with five orbicular, deciduous lobes. Fetals orbicular, clawed, crumpled. Stamens numerous. Fruit a
woody, persistent, broadJy turbinate capside, half-sunk in the calyx-tube, which encircles it with a tliick ring, and
above which tbe five valves are free, and together form a hemispherical crown.—The wood is hard and good,
though small; the leaves have been used as tea in Australia and Tasmania, where the plant is very abundant and
equally variable.
2. Leptospermum encoides, A. Rich.; arbuscula glaberrima v. sericeo-pubescens, erecta, ramulis virgatis
angulatis, foliis (2-4 Hu. longis) fasciculatis breve petiolatis linearibus v. anguste lineari-spathulatis
acutis coriaceis enerviis concavis punctatis, floribus aggregatis axillaribus pedicellatis, calyce tui-biuato pedi-
ceUoque pubescentibus v. glabris lobis ovatis persistentibus, capsulis turbinatis calycis tubo immersis valvis
apice vix liberis. A. Rich. Floe-a. A. Cunn. Frodr.
Ha b . Northern and Middle Islands; common. El. September to December. Nat. name, “ Rawiri,"
Northern Island, Cunn.; “ Manonea," Middle Island, B'Urville.
A scarcely less common plant than the former, attaining a greater size (20 feet), and readily distinguished by
its smooth twiggy branches, nari’ower, less coriaceous, acute (uot pungent), uniformly narrower, suberect leaves,
which grow in bundles (sometimes curved outwards), aud more especially by tbe pedicellate small flowers, and
fruit immersed in the tube of the calyx.
Gen. I I I . MYRTUS, L.
Gz/y«« tubus globosus, Hmbo 4 -5 -lobo. Retala iS'iamiza perplurima, petalis longiora. Bacca
globosa, calycis lobis coronata, 2-3-locularis. Semina pauca v. plurima, reniformia v. angulata; testa
ossea; embrjmne tereti, curvato; cotyledonibus parvis, brevibus.
Aromatic shrubs or trees, with opposite dotted leaves, axillary peduneled flowers, and globose-berried fruit.
Calyx tube globose ; limb four- to five-lobed. Fetals four to five. Stamens very numerous, exserted. Berry two-
to three-celled, globose, crowned with tbe calyx-limb ; seeds few or many in each cell, reniform or angled, with a
bony testa and long terete curved embryo, with small cotyledons.—This genus, though so well known as including the
European Myrtle, is not a large or common one ; species are found in the Northern temperate regions, in the tropical
mountains of South America, in India, and in the temperate regions of Chili and New Zealand, extending to
Cape Horn in the New World and Akaroa in New Zealand. (Name, pvpros, in Greek.)
1. Myrtus hullata, Banks et S o l; arbuscula, ramulis pedunculisque petiolis costaque folii pubescentibus,
foliis petiolatis late elliptico- v. rotundato-ovatis bullatis subtus discoloribus pedunculis folio brevioribus
V. æquilongis 1-2-floris, floribus 4-meris, bacca verrucosa 2-loculari oligosperma. Banks et Sol. Ic.
et MSS. A. Cunn. Frodr. Hook. le. Fiant, t. 557.
H a b . Northern Island; frequent, Banks and Solander, etc. El. December. Nat. name, “ Rama-
Rama,” Cunn. (Cultivated in England.)
An erect shrub or small tree, 10-15 feet. Branches suberect ; upper pubescent, as are the petioles ; midrib of the
SL.
Mt/rfaceís.] FLORA OF NEW ZEALAND. 71
leaf, peduncles, and calyx covered with a rusty-brown tomentum. Fetioles 2-3 Unes long. Leaves (1 inch) broadly
elliptical, ovate or rounded, blunt or sharp, with few veins, the surface búllate or bladdery between tbe veins, rarely
even, bright green above, reddish below. Flowei's white, on peduncles 1 inch long, \ an inch in diameter. Berries
deep red-purple or black, sweetish, much eaten by birds, as large as a black currant, two-celled, with several reniform
hard seeds in each cell.—The leaves are occasionally quite even on the suiface.
2. MfAus pedunculata, Hook. fil.; frutex glaberrimus, ramis divaricatis, ramulis 4-gonis, foliis parvis
breve petiolatis oblongis obovatisve punctatis subtus pallidis, pedicellis axillaribus l-floris, floribus 5-meris,
bacca 2-loculari polysperma. Ic. Flant. t. 629.
H a b . Northern and Middle Islands. East coast and interior, Colenso, Sinclair. Nelson, Bidwill.
A straggling shrub, 10-12 feet high, quite glabrous. Branches slender, four-augled ; bark white. Leaves ( i - |
inch) shortly petiolate, variable in size and shape, linear-oblong or obovate, blunt, plane. Feduncles veiy variable in
length, shorter or longer than the leaves, solitary, one-flowered. Flowers small, i inch diameter, white. Calyx-lohes
and petals five. Berry size of a red currant, orange-yellow, two-celled, with several pale compressed shining seeds.
3. Myrtus obcordata, Hook. fil.; frutex ramosus, ramis divaricatis ramulis petiolis pedunculis calycibusque
sericeis, foliis (parvis) obcordatis in petiolum brevem angustatis, pedunculis 1-floris, floribus 4-meris,
bacca 2-loculari polysperma. Eugenia obcordata, Raoul, iti Ann. Sc. Nat. Ser. 2. v. 2.p . 123.
Ha b . Northern and Middle Islands. East coast, and mountains of the interior, Colenso. Akaroa, Raoul.
A shrub, very similar to M. pedunculata in respect of size and habit, but the leaves (which vary from four lines
to one inch long) are always truly obcordate; the branches, petioles, peduncles, and calyx are pubescent; the flowers
have four petals and four calyx-lobes, and the bemes M. Raoul states to be of a violet-coloui-.
ta
Gen. IY. EUGENIA, Mich.
Omnia Myrti, sed semina pauca, magna, angulata; embryone crassa; radicula cotyledonibnsque con-
flnentibus.
Ti'ees, or large shrubs, with opposite leaves and peduneled flowers, exactly like Myrti, from which they only
differ in the structure of the beny and seed Calyx tube globose; limb four- to five-lobed. Petals four or five.
Stamens very numerous. Ovamj two- to thi-ee-celled; ovules numerous. Berry globose, one- to two-celled, with a
few large seeds, which have a tliick embryo, presenting no conspicuous radicle or cotyledons.—This genus abounds
in the Ti-opics of the West Indies and South America; many species are found in India and the Malay Islands,
a very few in Australia. They do uot advance so far south as Myrtus, attaining their highest latitude in the
Old World in New Zealand, and in the New in South Chili. (Named in honour of Prince Eugene of Savoy, a
patron of botany.)
1. Eugenia Maire, A. Cunn.; arbor erecta, tota glaberrima, ramulis angulatis, foliis ( 1 -H unc.) petiolatis
elliptico-lanceolatis ellipticisve acuminatis siccis crispatis, paniculis cymosis trichotome divaricatim
ramosis terminalibus multifloris, pedicellis elongatis superne incrassatis, calyce late obconico obscure 5-
lobo, petalis parvis, bacca urceolari oligosperma. A. Cunn. Frodr.
H a b . Northern Island, often in swamps. Bay of Islands, Cunningham, etc. El. April. Nat. name,
“ Maire tawake," Cunn.
A tree 30-50 feet high, quite smooth in all parts. Bark pale. Leaves (1^ inch) petiolate, elliptical, acuminate,
crisped when dry. Flowers usually in terminal, tricliotomoiisly branched, spreading panicles, white; pedicels
in threes, ^ inch long, gradually thickened upwards. Calyx obconic, very broad, 2 lines long, with five obscure
lobes. Petals five, rounded, small, white, commonly falling away together before expanding. Filaments capillary,
-!• inch long. Fruit an m-ceolate beny, nearly ^ inch long, crowned with the calyx-tube, containing about one
large, and several small seeds, which are of irregular form, compressed, convex on one face and rugose on the other.