20 Transactions. 



often subwhorled, glabrous ; bark reddish. Leaves towards the tips of the 

 branchlets, the lower alternate, the upper subopposite or whorled, 2-4 in. 

 long, \-l\ in. broad, narrow elliptic-oblong or elliptic-lanceolate, acute or 

 somewhat acuminate, rigidly coriaceous, quite glabrous or the very young 

 ones sparingly tomentose, sharply and coarsely serrate ; midrib stout, 

 prominent above ; veins finely reticulated ; petioles stout, reddish, |— § in. 

 long. Flowers numerous, white, fragrant, arranged in a dense terminal 

 compound cyme 1-2 in. diam. ; bracts many, deciduous, but conspicuous 

 in the early flowering stage ; the lower large, membranous, brownish, oblong 

 or oblong-lanceolate, often 1 in. long ; the upper gradually becoming smaller 

 and narrower ; the uppermost narrow subulate-lanceolate, ^— | in. long ; 

 both bracts and pedicels more or less silky-tomentose. Flowers J-§ iu. 

 long, \ in. diam. when fully expanded ; sepals |— § the length of the corolla, 

 narrow linear-subulate, attenuate at the tips ; petals linear-obovate or 

 linear-oblong, obtuse, conspicuously veined. Stamens included ; anthers 

 rather large, bright yellow. Ovary shortly stipitate, with very numerous 

 ovules to each placenta ; style stout, cylindrical. Capsules forming dense 

 clusters at the tips of the branchlets, \ in. long, elliptic-oblong, apiculate, 

 glabrous, 2-valved ; valves woody. Seeds numerous, immersed in a viscid 

 gluten ; often persistent after the fall of the valves as a viscid ball at the 

 top of the pedicel. 



Hob. — South Island : Nelson — Mountains behind Collingwood, at Speci- 

 men Creek and Snow's Valley, near Boulder Lake ; altitude, 3,500 ft. 

 Flowers in January. 



P. Dallii is not closely related to any other species, either in New Zea- 

 land or elsewhere. It is the only New Zealand species with regularly serrate 

 leaves ; it is the only species we have with white flowers ; and, with the 

 single exception of P. eugenioides, no other of our species has such a well- 

 developed inflorescence. When in flower it must be a very beautiful plant ; 

 in fact, Mr. Gibbs goes so far as to say that " it is far more handsome than 

 any of the other Pittosporums that I have seen." The fragrance of the 

 flowers is another attractive characteristic, although, as Mr. Gibbs remarks, 

 it does not equal P. patidum in that respect. 



P. Dallii appears to be rare in its only known habitat. Mr. Gibbs 

 informs me that he saw only three or four fully adult trees, which Were 

 growing in the open on a grass-covered hillside above Specimen Creek, at 

 an altitude of about 3,500 ft., but he has reason to believe that there were 

 several others higher up the hill. A number of young trees were seen, how- 

 ever, in a small patch of bush not far distant, and others were noticed in 

 the bush on the eastern side of Snow's Valley. No seedlings were seen ; 

 so it is not known whether the young states have heterophyllous foliage 

 like P. patulum or P. virgatum. Mr. Gibbs remarks that the large bracts 

 present a somewhat conspicuous appearance, forming a kind of involucre 

 surrounding the flower-heads. 



P. Dallii is evidently well worth cultivation as a garden-plant, and 

 from the nature of its habitat will probably prove hardy all through the 

 Dominion, and possibly in the south of England. The remarks made by 

 Mr. Gibbs as to the fragrance of its flowers brings to mind the fact that 

 P. Tobira, a native of Japan, is largely grown in France for the sake of 

 its fragrant white flowers, which are sold in great quantities in the Paris 

 flower-markets. 



