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Au Australian and South American genus, of which one species inhabits New Zealand, and is a small herb
with radical, pinnate, much-cut leaves, and an erect scape, bearing a solitary simple umbel. Cahj.v limb obsolete.
Petals incurved at the apex, pilose at the back. Fruit linear-oblong, nearly terete. Carpels plano-convex, with
five thick ribs, one vitta between each, and two at the commissure. Seed plane or slightly hollow in front, not
grooved deeply or subconvolute.—^De Candolle and Endlicher both describe the seed of tliis geniis as deeply grooved
and subconvolute on the commissural face, whence it is placed in the tribe Scandicineoe. Such is not the case with
the New Zealand species, nor with any others I have examined, nor with those which De Candolle has himself
figured (under the name of Caldasia), and the genus should tlierefore be placed in his tribe Seselineæ, where it will
rank more naturally than in that in which it has been placed. (Name from opos, a mountain, and Myrrhis, the name
of an allied plant.)
1. Oreomyrrliis Colensoi; glabra v. pilosa, caulibus laxis elougatis v. dense cæspitosis depressis,
petiolis gracilibus, foliis pinnatis, pinnis inultijugis oppositis petiolatis v. sessilibus oblongis iiiciso-
pinnatifidis, segmentis ovatis linearibusve acuminatis, scapis erectis v. decumbentibus laxe pubescenti-
pilosis pilis superne reflexis, involucri foliolis ovatis obtusis, floribus sessilibus, fructibus pedicellatis.
H a b . Northern Island. Mountainous places on the east coast and in the interior, Colenso.
A verj' variable smooth or pilose herb, with a slender, simple, perennial root, that becomes stout and much
divided, giving off many very short leafy stems, densely covered with the sheaths of old leaves ; in alpine localities
the whole plant is veiy stunted and depressed. Leaves all radical, pinnate, very numerous, 3-6 inches long ; petiole
very slender. Pinnules uniform, opposite, sometimes again pinnate, petiolate, or sessile, 2-4 lines broad, broadly
oblong, inciso-pinnatifid ; segments ovate, sharp. Scapes several, short when in flower, much longer than the
leaves when in fruit, pubescent or almost woolly, especially upwards, where the hairs are reversed. Involucre of
six to eight ovate leaves, 3 lines long. Flowers white, sessile. Pedicels pubescent, with leflexed liairs, i - i
inch long when iu fruit. Fruit quite smooth.
Ob s . There is in Dr. Lyall’s collection from Milford Haven a very remarkable, possibly Umbelliferous plant, with
the leaf broadly peltate, glabrous, shining, coriaceous, orbicular, crenate, much veined (with radiating veins), reticulate,
about 6 inches in diameter; the petiole is as thick as a swan’s quill, mottled with red. A veiy small specimen,
apparently of the same plant, from the South Island, is also in Dr. Lyall’s herbarium ; it has rounded, reniform,
crenate radical leaves, not peltate, about 1-g inch broad ; petioles pilose, vaginate ; roots very long, terete, tomentose.
I have no idea to what Natural Order to refer these with much probability.
N a t . O r d . XXXIX. ARALIACEÆ, Juss.
Gen. I. PANAX, L.
Flores polygami v. dioici. Calycis limbus brerissimus, obsolete 5-dentatus. Fetala 5, sub disci
margine inserta. Stamina 5. Ovarium 2-4-loculare ; stylis 2-4'. Bacca compressa, orbiculata v. didyraa,
2-4-locularis; loculis 1-spermis.
Evergreen shrubs or small trees, rarely herbs (none are herbaceous in New Zealand), with alternate, trifoliolate,
pinnate, or digitate leaves ; petioles jointed on to the stem, and the leaflets also jointed on to the petiole. Flowers
usually unisexual, often dicecious, green, umbellate. Umbels sometimes reduced to a few axillary ilowers. Calyx tube
aduate with the ovarj' ; limb very small, thick, five-toothed. Petals five, fleshy or coriaceous, valvaÉ^. Stamens five,
inserted, as are the petals, on an epigynous disc. Ovary compressed, two- to four-celled, with two or four simple styles.
Berry succulent or coriaceous, two- to four-celled ; cells one-seeded.—All the New Zealand species are peculiar to
those islands, including Lord Auckland’s Group ; but they are allied to Chilian and Australian plants. The genus
is artificially separated from Aralia by the number of cells of the ovary and styles, and though plants of a very
different habit belong to each, technical characters whereby their species may be more naturally arranged are wanting.
The male flowers are usually the largest, and have long filaments. In the females the stamens are usually present,
but small and sterile. (Name from nav, everything, and aeor, a remedy ; on account of the supposed virtues of the
famous P. Ginseng of China.)
§ a. Leaves simple (l-foliolate). Umbels small, imperfect.
1. Panax anomala, Hook.; fruticosa, ramis divaricatis setosis squamulosisque, foliis panis 1-fo-
liolatis in petiolum brevissimum articulatis obovatis oblongisve obtusis remote crenato-dentatis glaberrimis,
umbellis parvis axillaribus paucifioris breve pedunculatis, ovario 2-loculari. Hook, in Lond. Journ. Bot.
V. %.p. 422. t . 12.
H a b . Northern and Middle Islands. Bay of Islands, east coast and interior, Colenso. Nelson, Bidwill.
Nat. name, “ YVawa paku," Col. (Cultivated in England.)
A very anomalous species, on account of its small leaves, setose scaly branches, and small axillary umbels.
It forms a shrub very like Melicope simplex and Flceodendron micranthum in general appearance. Branches thickly
covered with small scales and bristles. Leaves rather remote, small ( | inch), jointed on to a very short petiole,
obovate or oblong, blunt, crenate or serrate, rather coriaceous, quite smooth. Petiole flat, with stipellæ at its
apex. Umbels axillary, one- to four-flowered; peduncle shorter than the petiole. Flowers veiy minute, green, with
very short pedicels. Fruit large for the plant, 2-3 lines broad. Styles two.
2. Panax linearis. Hook. fil. ; arbórea ? glaberrima, ramis infra folia bracteolatis, foliis breve et crasse
petiolatis lineari-oblongis obtusis v. apiculatis crassis et coraceis 1 -nerviis remote subserratis, umbellis
parvis paucifioris axillaribus foliis multo brevioribus subsessilibus, stylis 2-4 recurris.
Ha b . Middle Island. Chalky Bay, Lyall.
Eveiywhere quite smooth. Branches terete, woody, scan-ed, leafy at the apices, and bearing rigid, coriaceous,
ovate, acuminate, simple or trifid bracteolæ, about H hue long, among the bases of the leaves, leaves simple,
very rigid, thick and coriaceous, on short thick petioles, with adnate subulate stipules at tlie base, nairow oblong,
exactly linear, 2 inches long, \ broad, blunt, with one stout central nerve, and a thickened obscurely serrate margin.
Umbels axillary. Male flowers imknown, as are the petals. Female umbels of eight to ten flowers, neaily sessile
on a bracteolated common peduncle, in tbe axils of the leaves. Fruit (unripe) broadly urceolate, two- to four-
celled, with as many recurved styles, united at the base.—In some respects this curious plant resembles Aralia eras-
sifoUa more nearly than Panax ; in others, P. simplex, which is perhaps its nearest affinity.
§ b. Leaves simple, the young ones only Z-v-foUolate. Petioles without stipules. Umbels many-flowered.
3. Panax simplex, Porst.; arbórea, foliis longe petiolatis 1-foliolatis (junioribus 3-5-foliolatis),
foliolis obovato-lanceolatis subacutis grosse serratis coriaceis lucidis, umbellis terminaiibus axillaribusque
compositis, umbellulis 6-10-floris, ovaido 2-loculaiL Forst. Prodr. BC. Frodr. A. Rich. Flor. i. 31.
A. Cunn. Prodr. Fl. Antaret. v. l.jy . IS. t. 12.
H a b . Northern Island; in the mountains, Colenso. Middle and Southern Islauds, abundant, Forster
and BidwUl, etc.
A small, smooth, evergreen tree, 12-20 feet high, with glossy dark foliage. Leaves ou petioles 1-3 inches
long ; young ones three-foliolate, older oiie-foliolate ; leaflet 3-4 inches long, obovate or lanceolate, blunt or acuminate,
coarsely serrated. Umbels racemose, axillary or terminal, shorter thau the leaves ; ultimate umbels ten- to
twelve-flowevcd. Flowers on pedicels 3-5 lines long, dioecious. Styles two.—This plant is abundant in Lord
Auckland’s Group. Mr. Bidwill sends as seedling plants of this, from Nelson, specimens with five-lbliolate leaves,
the leaflets deeply sinuato-pinnatifid, which I suspect may belong to an Aralia, since I bave gathered seedling
plants of P. simplex, aud always found three-foliolate leaves, the leaflets in all respects like those of the old plant.
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