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An Australian and South American genus, of which one species inhabits New Zealand, and is a small herb
with radical, pinnate, miich-cut leaves, and an erect scape, bearing a solitary simple umbel. Calyx limb obsolete.
PetaU incurved at the apex, pilose at the back. Fruit linear-oblong, nearly terete. Carpeh 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 this genus 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 Zealaud species, nor with any others I have examined, nor with those which De Candolle bas himself
figured (under the name of Caldasia), and the genus should therefore be placed iu his tribe Seselineæ, where it will
rauk more naturally than iu 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 elongatis v. dense cæspitosis depressis,
petiolis gracilibus, foliis pinnatis, pinnis mnltijugis oppositis petiolatis v. sessilibus oblongis inciso-
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 . N o rth e rn Islan d . Mountainous places on th e east coast an d in th e interior, Colenso.
A veiy variable smooth or pilose herb, with a slender, simple, perennial root, tbat becomes stout and much
divided, giving off many very short leafy stems, densely covered with tbe sheaths of old leaves ; in alpine localities
the whole plant is very stunted and depressed. Leaves all radical, pinnate, very numerous, 2 -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 fmit, pubescent or almost woolly, especially upwards, where the hairs are reversed. Involucre of
six to ei»ht ovate leaves, 2 lines long. Plowers white, sessile. Pedicels pubescent, with reflexed hairs, 4 -4
inch long when iu fruit. Fruit quite smooth.
O b 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 very small specimen,
apparently of the same plaut, from the South Island, is also in Dr. Lyall’s herbarium ; it has rounded, reniform,
crenate radical leaves, not peltate, about 14 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 at. Or d . XXXTX. ARALIACEÆ, Juss.
Gen. I . PA N A X , L .
Flores polygami v. dioici. Calycis limbus brevissimus, obsolete 5-dentatus. Fe ta la 5, sub disci
margine inserta. Stamina 5. Ovarium 2-4 -lo cu lare ; stylis 2-4-. Bacca compressa, orbiculata v. didyina,
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 dioecious, green, umbellate. Umheh sometimes reduced to a few axillary flowers. Calyx tube
aduate with tbe ovary ; limb very small, thick, five-toothed. Petah five, fleshy or coriaceous, valvate. Stamens live,
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 Austrahan plants. The genus
is artificially separated from Aralia by the number of cells of the ovary and styles, and thougli plants of a very
different habit belong to eacli, technicaj cbaracters whereby their .species may be more naturally arranged are wanting.
The malo ilowers arc usually the largest, and have long filaments. In the females the stamens are usually present,
but small and sterile. (Name fi-om wm, mmjildiKj, and asot. a remedy ; on account of the supposed virtues of the
famous P. Ginseng of China.)
§ a. Leaves simple {I'foliolate'). Umbels small, imperfect.
1. Pan ax anomala, H o o k .; fruticosa, ramis divaricatis setosis squamulosisque, foliis p a n i s 1-fo-
liolatis in petiolum brevissimum a rticu latis obovatis oblongisve obtusis remote crenato-dentatis glaberrimis,
umbellis parvis axillaribus paucifioris breve pedunculatis, ovario 2-loculari. Hook, in Lond. Jov.rn. Bot.
V. 2. p . 4 2 2 . t. 12.
H a b . N o rth e rn and Middle Islands. Bay of Islands, east coast and interior, NCison, BidwiU.
N a t. name, " YVawa p ak u ,” 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 Elæodendron micranthum in general appearance. Branches thickly
covered with small scales and bristles. Leaves rather remote, small (4 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. Umbeh axillary, one- to four-flowered ; peduncle shorter thau the petiole. Flowers very minute, green, with
very short pedicels. Fruit large for the plant, 2-3 lines broad. Stijles two.
2. Pan ax linearis, Hook. fil. ; arbórea ? glaberrima, ramis infra folia bracteolatis, foliis breve et crasse
petiolatis lineari-oblongis obtusis v. apiculatis crassis e t coraceis 1-nerviis remote subserratis, umbellis
parvis paucifioris axillaribus foliis multo brevioribus subsessilibus, stylis 2 - 4 recurvis.
H a b . Middle Islan d . Chalky Bay, L ya ll.
Eveiywhere quite smooth. Branches terete, woody, scarred, leafy at the apices, and bearing rigid, coriaceous,
ovate, acuminate, simple or trifid bracteolæ, about 14 line long, among the bases of tbe leaves. Leaves simple,
very rigid, thick and coriaceous, on short thick petioles, with adnate subulate stipules at the base, narrow oblong,
exactly linear, 2 inches long, 4 broad, blunt, with one stout central neiaæ, and a thickened obscurely serrate margin.
Umbels axillary. Male fiowei's unknown, as are the petak. Female umbeh of eight to ten flowers, nearly sessile
on a bracteolated common peduncle, in the 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 plaut resembles Aralia crassifolia
more nearly than Panax ; in others, P. simplex, which is perhaps its nearest aifiuity.
§ b. Leaves simple, the young ones only 3-i)-foliolate. Petioles without stipules. Umbeh many-flowered.
3. P an ax simplex, P o rst. ; arbórea, foliis longe petiolatis 1-foliolatis (junioribus 3-5-foliolatis),
foliolis obovato-lauceolatis subacutis grosse serratis coriaceis lucidis, umbellis termiuaiibus axillaribusque
compositis, umbellulis 6 -1 0 -fio ris, ovario 2-loculai’i. Forst. Prodr. DC. Prodr. A . Rich. Flor. i. 31.
A. Cunn. Prodr. Fl. A ntarc t. v. l .ju . 18. t. 12.
H a b . N o rth e rn Is la n d ; in th e mountains, Colenso. Middle and Southern Islands, abundant, Forster
a n d B idw ill, etc.
A small, smooth, evergreen tree, 1 2-20 feet high, with glossy dark foliage. leaves ou petioles 1-3 inches
long ; young ones three-foliolate, older one-foliolate ; leaflet 2 -4 inches long, obovate or lanceolate, blimt or acuminate,
coarsely serrated. Umbeh racemose, axillaiy or terminal, shorter than the leaves ; ultimate umbels te n -to
twelvc-ilowcvcd. Flowers on pedicels 3-5 lines long, dioecious. Styles two.—Tliis plaut is abundant iu Lord
Auckland’s Group. Mr. Bidwill sends as seedling plants of this, from Nelson, specimens with five-foliolate leaves,
the leaflets deeply sinuato-pinnatitid, which I suspect may belong to an Aralia, since 1 have gathered seedling
plants of P . simplex, and always found three-foliolate leaves, the leaflets iu all respects like those of the old plaut.
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