Wild. — Geology of the Bluff. 339 



mistook the rock for syenite, boulders of which were thought to be found 

 in the Hokonui Hills, of Permian age. It is now known that there is 

 no rock resembling the norite in the Hokonui conglomerates. 



In his " Geology of New Zealand," recently published, Park makes 

 no definite statement of the age of the norite intrusion, beyond discussing 

 it under his Manapouri system, which includes series of Cambrian, 

 Ordovician, and Silurian age. 



There is, in fact, no evidence that accurately fixes the age of this 

 intrusion. We know definitely that it is younger than the intruded 

 rocks — that is, late or post Carboniferous. Very probably the intrusion 

 is connected with the widespread elevation that in Jurassic times enlarged 

 New Zealand to continental dimensions. This movement resulted in rock- 

 folding, and the main mountain-ranges were formed. The folding was 

 associated with the intrusion of igneous rocks in various localities. 



Art. XXXVI. — The Anatomical Structure of the New Zealand Piperaceae. 



By Anne F. Ironside, M.A. 



[Read before the Manaioatu Philosophical Society. 20th April, 1911.] 



The Piperaceae have formed the subject of much research recently, by 

 Campbell, Johnson, and Hill, to throw light on the relationships of the 

 order, and on the phylogeny of the Angiosperms generally. 



Hill's preliminary account on seedling-structure in the order appeared 

 in the " New Phytologist," No. 3, 1904 ; the full account appearing in 

 the " Annals of Botany," April, 1906. He gives a comprehensive account 

 of seedling-structure in Piper cornifolium and in many Peperomias, then 

 a description of development in the Saurineae, the whole concluding with 

 certain theoretical conclusions. Hill, in common with Johnson, looks on 

 Peperomia as a reduced genus ; but he suggests that this reduction mav 

 be due to the epiphytic character of many of the species. 



The object of the present investigation was the examination of the 

 anatomical structure of the mature plant and seedling of the New Zealand 

 representatives of the order, to see what bearing they had on the subject. 

 The work was commenced at the Auckland University College some three 

 years ago. My thanks are due to Professor A. P. W. Thomas for the 

 assistance he rendered me. 



New Zealand Representatives. 



There are three representatives of the order : — 



1. Macropiper excelsum is either a shrub, forming a common under- 

 growth, or a small tree, often 20 ft. in height, aromatic, glabrous. Stem 

 flexuose, jointed. Leaves 3-5 in. long, broady ovate-cordate, often sharply 

 pointed ; petioles 1-2 in. long, with sheathing base, which serves as a pro- 

 tective organ. Catkins solitary or 2 together, axillary, erect, slender 

 1-4 in. Ions; ; berries vellow. 



