Tab. 6951. 

 ALSEUOSMIA maobophylla. 



Native of New Zealand. 



Nat. Ord. CapBIFOUAOXJE. — Tribe Lonicebe.e. 

 Genus Alseuosmia, A. Cunn.; (Benth. el ILwk. /. Gen. PI. vol. ii. p. 6.) 



Alseuosmia macrophylla ; frutex robustus, ^laberrimus, rainis erectis, foliis 3-f>- 

 nncialibus elliptico-lanceolatis oblanceolatisve in petiolum brevem rihgtutatia 

 integerrimis serratis v. simiato-dentatis, floribus pollicaribus sajpissime 5-ineris, 

 corolla lobis grosse fimbriato-dentatis dentibaa incurvis, disco tuberculatis, 

 baccis 2-locularibus polyspermis. 



A. macrophylla, A. Cunn. in Ann. Nat. Hist. vol. ii. p. 209; JTool: f. VI. X, te 

 Zeald. vol. i. p. 102, t. 23, and Handbook of the New Zealand Flora, 

 p. 109 and 731. 



Alseuosmia is a genus confined to New Zealand and to 

 the northern of the two greater Islands, where one species 

 (A. Banhsii) was discovered by Sir Joseph Banks on 

 the shores of the Bay of Islands, when accompanying 

 Captain Cook on his first Voyage of Discovery. It was 

 not, however, till 1826 that the genus was rediscovered by 

 the late Allan Cunningham, when he, being then Curator 

 of the Sydney Botanical Garden, visited New Zealand. 

 In 1839 the first description of it appeared by Allan 

 Cunningham in his " Specimens of the Botany of New 

 Zealand," published in the Annals of Natural History, in 

 which work he describes eight species (now reduced to 

 four), all from the neighbourhood of the Bay of Islands. 

 and none have been added since. The name he adopted 

 was suggested by the powerful fragrance of the flowers 

 which scent the woods where it grows (euooyna, a grateful 

 odour, and aXtros, a grove). The name is well deserved, 

 for I can bear testimony to their delicious fragrance, and 

 to this penetrating the dark woods of the Bay of Islands 

 to a considerable distance. This, and the affinity of the 

 genus with Lonieera, would suggest the English name of 

 New Zealand Honey-suckle for the genus. 



My correspondents in New Zealand made repeated 



august 1st, 1887. 



