Specimen of the Botany of New Zealand. 379 



The wood of the Rcwa-rewa is beautifully variegated, being mottled 

 with red, upon a ground of light brown ; it is therefore well adapted 

 for making articles of elegant furniture. The freedom with which it 

 splits causes it to be far more frequently employed for paling-fences ; 

 but roofing- shingles made of it are found to warp readily with the 



sun. 



LAURI1SLE, Ventenat. 

 1. Laurus, L., Brown. 

 Flores hermaphroditi aut dioici. Perianthium 6-fidum sequale. Stamina 

 12, duplici ordine ; exteriora 6 fertilia, interiora 6 exterioribus opposita, 

 horurn 3 sunt fertilia, basi biappendiculata aut biglandulosa, csetera al- 

 terna sterilia. Antherce biloculares. Stigma capitatum. Drupa nuda 

 monosperma. 



351. L. Tarairi, arborea, foliis lato-ellipticis coriaceis obtusis petiolatis, 

 supra glaberrimis, subtus venosis glaucis ramulisque tomentosis, racemis pa- 

 niculatis ferrugineo-lanatis axillaribas terminalibusve, foliolis perianthii ob- 

 longo-ellipticis acutiusculis. — L. macrophylla. {A. C.Mss. 1826, non Don.) 

 Tarairi Incol. 



New Zealand (Northern Island). A tree fifty to seventy feet high, in dry 

 woods on the banks of rivers, Bay of Islands, Wangaroa, &c, — 1826, A. Cun- 

 ningham. — 1834, R. Cunningham. 



Obs. The timber is white and splits freely, but is seldom employed. 



352. L. Tawa, arborea, foliis lanceolatis acuminatis subundulatis minu- 

 tissime venoso-reticulatis, supra glabris nitidis, subtus glaucis adpresso-seri- 

 ceis, racemis paniculatis pilosiusculis terminalibus, pilis cinereis sparsis, ra- 

 mulis petiolisque foliorum juniorum tomentosis, perianthii laciniis ovalibus 

 obtusis. — Tawa, Indigenis. — L. salicifolia. Banks et Sol.Mss. non Swartzii. 



New Zealand (Northern Island). — 1769, Sir Jos. Banks. A tree forty to 

 sixty feet high, frequent in shaded moist forests, at the Bay of Islands, &c. 

 — 1826, A. Cunningham. — 1834, R. Cunningham. 



The wood of the Tawa is light, and on account of the facility with 

 which it splits is used by the natives for their short fences. It de- 

 cays, however, in the course of two years and becomes perfectly use- 

 less ; but as the New Zealanders seldom cultivate one spot for a 

 longer period than two successive years, they do not experience the 

 inconvenience which would otherwise accrue from the rapid decay of 



bracteis (maximis) ellipticis imbricatis mox deciduis, stylis caducis, caule 

 fruticoso. — Embothvium strobilinum. Labill. Nov. II oil. ii. p. 1 16. t. 265. 

 Roem. et Sch. Syst. Veg. Hi. p. 432. {vide fig.) 



Hab. In Nova Caledonia, Labill., sed nunquam Terra Van Leuwin, in- 

 cola. 



Obs. Frutex orgyalis, ramis teretibus erectis. Folia petiolata, obovata, 

 Integra, venosa, infra attenuata. Gemmce fiorigerce axillares solitaria), pe- 

 dunculate, strobiliformes, bracteis ovatis deciduis. Folliculus lignosus, ob- 

 longus, hinc gibbus. {Ex Labill. loc. cit.) 



