Paratrophis. | URTICACE. 633 
9. P. Banksii, Cheesem. n. sp.—A small tree 15-25ft. high, 
glabrous or the young branches pubescent; bark brown. Leaves 
usually close-set, spreading, 14-34 in. long, ovate-oblong or elliptic- 
oblong, obtuse or acute, coriaceous, glabrous, obtusely crenate or 
crenate-dentate, veins finely reticulate. Spikes solitary or gemi- 
nate or rarely 3 together, axillary, rarely terminal, pedunculate. 
Males 1-2in. long, cylindrical, densely many-flowered ; flowers 
intermixed with peltate scales. Perianth rather larger than in 
P. heterophylla. Female spikes 4—1in. long; flowers 8-25 or more, 
distichous, rhachis compressed. Drupe broadly ovoid, red, +in. 
diam., always several and often many ripening on each spike.— 
P. heterophylla var. elliptica, Kirk im Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxix. (1897) 
500, t. 46. Trophis opaca, Banks and Sol. ex Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. 
1, 224. 
Nort Isuanp: Usually near the sea. Bay of Islands, Colenso! Wha- 
ngarei Heads and Hen and Chickens Islands, 7. #'. C.; Great Barrier Island, 
Omaha, Kirk! Cuvier Island, 7. F. C.; Cabbage Bay, Adams! East Cape 
district, Banks and Solander, Bishop Williams! Petrie! Cook Strait, Kirk ! 
Stephen Island, H. H. Travers ! November-—February. 
I advance this as a distinct species with considerable hesitation; but the 
much larger leaves, longer spikes, more numerous female flowers, and much 
larger and more numerous drupes are prominent characters, and although 
intermediates exist between it and P. heterophylla the two plants appear to be 
too wide apart to be treated as a single species. 
3. P. Smithii, Cheesem. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xx. (1888) 148.— 
A perfectly glabrous shrub or small tree 6-15 ft. high, with copious 
milky juice; branches long, slender, straggling, often flexuous and 
interlaced ; bark dark-brown, rough with raised lenticels. Leaves 
4-8in. long, ovate-oblong or elliptic-oblong, obtuse or obtusely 
acuminate, rounded or obliquely cordate at the base, quite entire, 
dark-green, coriaceous; veins conspicuous, reticulated ; stipules 
lanceolate, caducous. Spikes solitary or geminate, axillary or from 
the branches below the leaves, 2-5in. long. Males cylindric, 
densely many-flowered; flowers intermixed with peltate scales. 
Perianth 4in. diam.; segments rounded, spreading, pubescent 
externally. Females many-flowered, the flowers minute, densely 
packed in 2 irregular rows on each side of the flattened rhachis, 
intermixed with peltate scales. Perianth-segments rounded, obtuse, 
closely appressed to the ovary, the 2 outer rather smaller than the 
others. Ovary conic, exserted. Style deeply 2-partite. Drupe 
globose, bright-red, $in. diam. 
Nortu Isuanp: Three Kings Islands, abundant, 7. F.C. 
Easily recognised by the large entire leaves and long many-flowered female 
spikes, with the flowers distichously arranged in 2 rows on each side of the 
rhachis. 
