PLATE 27.—MELICOPE TERNATA. 
(WHARANGI) 
Famity RUTACE.] [Genus MELICOPE, Forsr. 
Melicope ternata, Forst. Char. Gen. 56; Cheesem. Man. N.Z. Fl. 94. 
Melicope ternata is a common tree in lowland districts in the northern part of 
New Zealand, ranging from the Kermadec Islands and the Three Kings Islands 
southwards to Nelson and Marlborough. It is generally seen near the coast, and, 
so far as I am aware, does not ascend to a greater elevation than about 1,000 ft. 
It was first collected by Sir Joseph Banks and Dr. Solander at Tolaga Bay, in 
October, 1769, during Cook’s first visit to New Zealand. In Solander’s manuscripts 
the name of Entoganum levigatum was applied to it, but this was not actually 
published until 1788, when it was adopted by Gaertner in his work “De Fructibus 
et Seminis Plantarum.” In the meantime, however, it had been described by 
Forster in his “ Characteres Generum ” under the name it now bears. 
When growing in the open Melicope ternata forms a closely branched round- 
topped shrub ; but when mixed with other trees it will attain a height of 20 ft. or 
25 ft., with a trunk 9 in. in diameter or even more. The leaves, young branchlets, 
and even the calyces and petals, are plentifully studded with pellucid oil-glands, 
so that the whole plant is aromatic when bruised or roughly handled. The wood 
is pale and satiny, and has been employed for inlaying, but its small size will 
preclude any extensive use. 
Systematists differ as to the limitation of Melicope. Hooker and Bentham, in 
the “Genera Plantarum,” unite with it the Sandwich Island and Polynesian Pelea, 
but recent workers keep that genus as distinct. On the other hand, the Malayan 
Tetractoma is now usually merged with Melicope. If the views expressed by Engler 
in the “ Pflanzenfamilien ” are followed, then Melicope, with about thirty species, 
is mainly Australian and Malayan, two or three species being found as far north as 
the Philippine Islands. 
Pate 27. Melicope ternata, drawn from, specimens collected in the vicinity of Auckland. Fig. 1, 
part of leaf, showing the numerous oil-glands (slightly enlarged) ; 2 and 3, flowers, showing both sepals 
and petals thickly studded with oil-glands (x 4); 4 and 5, stamens, front and back view (enlarged) ; 
6, pistil, showing the almost separable lobes of the ovary, surrounded at the base by an annular 
disc (x 8); 7 and 8, transverse and longitudinal sections of ovary (enlarged) ; 9, ripe fruit, consisting 
of 4 free cocci dehiscing along the inner suture (enlarged); 10, seed (enlarged) ; 11, section of same 
(enlarged). 
