106 CORIARIER. [Coriaria. 
the base. Flowers small, green, $-+in. diam., strongly pro- 
terogynous. Sepals broadly ovate, subacute. Filaments elongat- 
ing after fertilisation. Fruit globose, purplish-black, of 5-8 cocci 
enveloped by the persistent enlarged juicy petals.—Hook. f. Fl. 
Nov. Zel. i. 45; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 46; Kirk, Forest Fl. t. 139; Stu- 
dents’ Fl. 97. C. sarmentosa, Forst. Prodr. n. 377; A. Rich. FI. 
Nouv. Zel. 864; Bot. Mag. t. 2470; A. Cumn. Precur. n. 581; 
Raoul, Choix, 47. C. arborea and C. tutu, Lindsay, Contrib. 
N.Z. Bot. 84. 
Kermapec IsuaAnps, NortH aND SourH Isnanps, Stewart ISLAND, 
CuatHam Is~aANps: Abundant throughout, ascending to 3500 ft. Tutu ; 
Tupakiht. 
Most parts of the plant are poisonous, and particularly the young shoots 
and seeds. The poisonous principle appears to be a glucoside, to which the 
name ‘“‘tutin’’ has been applied. For particulars, reference should be made to 
a paper by Prof. Hasterfield and Mr. B. C. Aston, published by the New Zea- 
land Department of Agriculture. The juice expressed from the fleshy petals is 
quite innocuous, and is used as a non-intoxicating drink by the Maoris. 
2. CG. thymifolia, Humb. and Bonp. ex Willd. Sp. Plant. iv. 
819.—A small suffruticose or herbaceous plant 6in. to 4 ft. high; 
rootstock often stout, woody, much branched; stems and branches 
slender, with winged angles, often flattened in one plane. Leaves 
variable in size, $-lin., oblong-ovate ovate-lanceolate or lanceolate, 
acute or acuminate, sessile or very shortly petioled, glabrous or 
slightly pubescent. Racemes 1-4in. long, slender, spreading, 
pubescent. Flowers rather smaller than in C. ruscifolia, often uni- 
sexual.—Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel.i1. 45; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 47; Lindsay, 
Contrib. N.Z. Bot. 87; Kirk, Students’ Fl. 98. C. lurida, Kirk, l.c. 
NortH anp SoutH Istanps: Mountainous districts from Taupo and the 
Hast Cape southwards. 1000-5000 ft. Tutupapa. 
In its ordinary state this is distinct enough ; but large-leaved forms pass 
directly into C. ruscifolia, and narrow-leaved varieties into C. angustissima, I 
cannot separate Mr. Kirk’s C. lurida even as a variety. 
3. C. angustissima, Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Fl. 47.—Rootstock 
stout, branched. Stems herbaceous, slender, tufted, often covering 
large patches. Branches numerous, dense, almost plumose; branch- 
lets filiform or almost capillary. Leaves very numerous, small, 
4-1 in. long, narrow-linear or linear-subulate, sessile or very shortly 
petioled, acuminate. Racemes 1-3 in. long, slender, glabrous or 
nearly so. Flowers small, very similar to those of C. thymifola, 
often unisexual. Fruit rather large, globose, almost black.—Zind- 
say, Contrib. N.Z. Bot. 87; Kirk, Students’ Fl. 98. 
Nortu Isutanp: Mount Egmont, Dieffenbach; Ruahine Range, Colenso 
Handbook). SourH Istanp: Subalpine localities in Canterbury and Otago. 
1500-4000 ft. December—January. 
I have seen no North Island specimens, and suspect that slender fine-leaved 
forms of C. thymifolia have been taken for it in the localities quoted above. 
