112 Specimen of t lie Botany of New Zealand. 



The wood of this plant, which is hard and heavy, takes a most 

 beautiful polish, and its grain seems to be only a continuation of hard 

 knots, which gives it a peculiar but very beautiful appearance when 

 wrought. Yate's New Zealand, p. 47. 



556. M. perforata \ ramosissima ramulis liirtis, foliis ovalibus obtusis co- 

 riaccis, aveniis glabriusculia superne nitidis, brevissime petiolatis punctatis, 

 juvenilibuspraeaertim subtus pilosis, pedunculis axillaribua unifloris apice sae- 

 piusve trifloris. A. Hick. Fl. Nov. Zel. j). 334. — Melaleuca perforata, Forst. 

 Prodr. n. 212. — Leptospermum perforatum. Forst. Gen. Char. 36. n. 4. 



New Zealand (Middle Island). — 1773, G. Forster. Astrolabe Harbour. 

 1827, D'UrvWe. 



Arbuscula ramosissima erecta. Folia ovalia unguiculata. Flores parvuli, 

 albi, axillares, solitarii aut terni. Calyx monosepalus adhaerens ; tubo tur- 

 binate) pilosiusculo limbo 5 — G-dcntato, dentibus latis obtusis. Corolla 5 — 6 

 petala, petalis sessilibus obtusis subconcavis, caducis. Stamina numerosa, 

 simplici serie disposita. Stylus simplex, teres, stigmate minimo depresso 

 vix distincto terminatus. Capsnla globoso-depressa, 3- ravissime 4-loeularis, 

 loculis polyspermis. Semina numerosa parvula subulata. A. Rich. 



557. M. robusta, foliis ellipticis ovatisve coriaceis obtusis emarginatis pe- 

 tiolatis glabriusculia subtus punctatis utrinque pulcbre reticulato-venosis, 

 corymbis terminalibus, pedunculis subtrifloris, calycibus bracteis ramulisque 

 ferrugineo-tomentosis. 



Rata ab incolis dicitur, R. Cunningham. 



New Zealand (Northern Island). Forests of Wangaroa, Hokianga, &c, 

 at some distance from the sea-coast. — 1826, A. Cunningham. — 1834, R. Cun- 

 ningham. 



Arbor procera, sa?pe usque 80-pedalis aha, coma, irregulari, ramis glabris 

 teretibus. Folia opposita, elliptica, ovalia vel oblongo-ovata. Facie Ligustri ; 

 apice rotunda vel emarginata 1 vel sesquiunciam longa. Flores pulcherrimi, 

 purpureo-rubicundi, pedunculati, corymbosi, terminales, bracteis obovatis 

 concavis deciduis. Stamina numerosa, petalis unguicularibus persistentibus 

 quater longiora stylum subsequantia. Stigma tubulosum. Capsula obovata 

 trilocularis, tubo turbinato calycis circumcingente adherens, polysperma. 

 Semina linearia, subulata. 



A noble tree, frequent in the dense forests of the Northern Island, 

 where it not unusually attains the height of 80 feet; becomes ramified 

 at from 30 to 60 feet from the ground, and beneath the branches, 

 which are of very irregular growth, the trunk varies from 3 to 7 feet 

 in diameter, according to the extreme height of the tree. The wood 

 is hard, close-grained, very durable, and hence admirably adapted 

 for ships' timbers and the construction of agricultural implements. 

 A colonial trading vessel from Port Jackson was built by Messrs. 

 Macdonell at Hokianga in 1828, the principal timbers of which were 

 of the Rata; and the experiment answered so well, that they are now 



