498 Transactions. — Botany. 



Akt. XLVI. — BemarJcs on Paratrophis heterophylla, Bl. 

 By T. KiBK, F.L.S. 



[Read before the Wellington Philosophical Society, 17th February, 1897.] 

 Plates XLV. and XLVI. 



Most New Zealand botanists have doubtless felt con- 

 siderable uncertainty as to the specific identity of certain 

 plants included, rightly or wrongly, under Epicarpums micro- 

 phylhis, Eaoul, the " turepo " of the Maoris and the " milk- 

 tree " of the settlers. Certainly any ordinary observer 

 examining Eaoul's beautiful drawing, and comparing it with 

 the fine plate of Trophis opaca in the Banksian collection, 

 would unhesitatingly conclude that two entirely different 

 plants were represented by the artists, and for some time 

 past I have been of the same opinion ; but the examination 

 of a large number of specimens from various localities has 

 compelled me to believe that we have only a single species 

 which exhibits an exceptional range of variation, so that 

 it is desirable to point out the characteristics of the extreme 

 forms. 



Paratrophis heterophylla, Bl., Mus. Bot. Lugd. Bat., ii., 81. 



In the young state the typical form has slender, flexuous, 

 often tortuous twigs with brown bark, pubescent or even 

 setose at the tips, and very brittle ; the leaves are distant, 

 membranous, green, ^in.-fin. long, shortly petioled, varying 

 from obovate to obovate-orbicular, cuneate at base, entire 

 or deeply-lobed below, or even pinnatifid, acute, sharply 

 toothed ; stipules ovate - subulate, caducous. In this state 

 the plant forms a bush or shrub 3ft. -8ft. high, which bears 

 but a slight resemblance to the mature condition and rarely 

 produces flowers. 



Gradually the leaves become coriaceous, the bark changes 

 to a grey colour, sometimes almost white, the leaves become 

 obtuse, or even retuse, their margins creuate or crenate- 

 dentate, while the lobation is less prominent and often 

 disappears. The obovate outline may be retained or pass 

 gradually into obovate-elliptic or elliptic-ovate ; the length 

 may vary from \\n. or less to l^in. In this state the plant 

 may range from a shrub or bush to a small tree 40ft. high or 

 more, with a trunk not exceeding 24in. in diameter, and pale- 

 grey or whitish bark. Flowers are produced freely, the 

 male catkins forming axillary or rarely terminal amenta 

 fin.-lin. long, the flowers mixed with curious peltate scales, 



