448 



Transactions. 



and described by Mr. Percy Smith (Trans. N.Z. Inst., x, 357. 

 t. 15) is well known to New Zealand botanists ; and a photo- 

 graph of a curious 6-branched specimen is given in Laing and 

 Blackwell's " Plants of New Zealand " (p. 89). T have now 

 to record two additional instances. The first was found about 

 eighteen years ago at Kaiwaka, North Auckland, by Mr. D. 

 A. Mackenzie, of Waipu. From the accompanying sketch for- 



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PCS," ,"• %S^'" 



Girt-h'Idin. f^^-if^ 



warded to me by Mr. Percy Smith, to whom it was given 

 by Mr. Mackenzie, it will be seen that the main stem has been 

 injured, causing the death of the terminal bud. The injury 

 has evidently led to the production of a lateral branch on each 

 side, one of which has, by successive forking, produced three 

 branches, the other two. This specimen is interesting on ac- 

 count of the proof which it affords that the branching was due 

 to some injury to the terminal bud. For my knowledge of the 

 second instance, which is the most remarkable yet recorded, 

 I am indebted to Mr. H. J. Matthews, the head of the Forestry 

 Department. It was recently found in the State forest reserve 

 at Puhipuhi, between Whangarei and the Bay of Islands. Its 

 height is about 30 ft., and it possesses no fewer than seventeen 

 branches. The health and vigour of the tree is undiminished, 



