380 Specimen of the Botany of New Zealand. 



the wood. The fruits of both of the species, that of the Tarairi re- 

 sembling a Damascene in size and appearance, are eagerly devoured 

 by the large wood pigeon ; and the aborigines, when they are tra- 

 versing their native forests, and happen to be provided with muskets, 

 always halt awhile beneath these trees in their fruit season (the 

 months of October and November) for the chance of a shot. The 

 islanders themselves also eat the fruit when boiled ; by which pro- 

 cess the poison, which abounds in it in a raw state, is extracted. 



353. L. ? calicaris (Soland.) ; dioica, foliis ellipticis ovato-lanceolatisve 

 acuminatis venosis, supra nitidis, subtus glaucis, umbellis femineis axillaribus 

 glomeratis pedunculatis subquinquefloris, pedicellis cinereo-villosis, involu- 

 cris pentaphyllis imbvicatis, foliolis subrotundis latissimis perianthiis 7 — 8 

 fidis, laciniis oblongis acutis, pedunculis fructus incrassatis apice dilatatis 

 calyciformibus. Banks and Sol. Mss. — Tetranthera Tangao. R. Cunn. Ms. 

 1 834. — Tangao, Indigenis. 



New Zealand (Northern Island). — 1769, Sir Jos. Banks. River sides at 

 the Bay of Islands. — 1834, R. Cunningham. 



I have never seen the male flowers, and am therefore ignorant of 

 the structure of the anthers ; but as the stigma, in all the female 

 flowers examined, is dilated and more or less lobed, it seems pro- 

 bable that it may be a genuine species of Tetranthera, to which genus 

 R. Cunningham has referred it. He has described the male flowers 

 as involucrated and subsessile. In the absence, however, of more 

 perfect materials, I have placed it with Solander's in the Linnsean 

 genus Laurus, to which all the plants of the order were in his day 

 referred. 



ATHEROSPERME.E, R. Br. 

 Flores diclines, v.el hermaphroditi. Calyx monophyllus, limbo diviso, la- 

 ciniis saepe duplici serie. Squamulce faucis in fcem. et hermaphr. Cor. 0. 

 Stamina in masculis floribus numerosa, fundo calyci inserta. Antherce 

 adnatae, biloculares, loculis valvula longitudinali a basi ad apicem de- 

 hiscenti. Ovaria imo plura saepius indefinita, monosperma, ovalo erecto. 

 Styli simplices. Stigmata indivisa. Pericardia clausa seminiformia 

 stylis persistentibus plumosis aristata, tubo aucto calycis inclusa. R. 

 Br. — Genera Atherosperma, Laurelia. 



1 . Laurelia, Juss. 

 (Pavonia, Ruiz, non Cavanill.) 

 Flores monoici vel dioici.<J . Perianth, monophyllum. Tubus campanu- 

 latus seu brevissimo-cylindricus, limbus 5 — 13 fidus, laciniis (imbricatis) 

 2 — 3-plici dispositis. Stamina 7 — 14 ad basin singula, glandular duae 

 subrotundae sessiles. Antherce ad apicem filamentorum utrinque adnatae, 

 biloculares, valvis elastice dehiscentibus apice filamentorum affixis, sur- 

 sum spectantibus. Squamulce 3 ad basin staminum. 



