PLATE 74.—PSEUDOPANAX DISCOLOR. 
Famity ARALIACE. | [Genus PSEUDOPANAX, C. Kocu. 
Pseudopanax discolor, Harms in Pflanzeur, t. ili, abt. 8, p. 46; Cheesem. Man. N.Z. FI. 233. 
For the discovery of this fine plant we arefindebted to Mr. T. Kirk, who 
in November, 1867, collected it on the Great Barrier Island, where it is 
exceedingly abundant, ranging from sea-level to the tops of the highest hills ; 
altitude 2,400 ft. It was referred by Mr. Kirk to Panax Sinelairii, which is in 
reality a very different species, and was mentioned under that name in_ his 
“Botany of the Great Barrier Island,” published in the first volume of the 
“ Transactions of the New Zealand Institute” (p. 144); but in 1870 he corrected 
the mistake, and described it as a new species under the name of Panar 
discolor. In the meantime he had also observed the plant on the Little Barrier 
Island; at Whangaroa (which appears to be its northern limit); at Omaha ; 
and on the dividing range of the Cape Colville Peninsula, where it extends from 
Cape Colville as far south as Tairua. In all these localities it is abundant ; 
but no additional stations have been recorded of late years. 
Although originally placed in the genus Panax by Kirk, and retained in it 
in his “ Students’ Flora,” the plant really falls into Koch’s genus Pseudopanaz, 
which differs from Panax in the 5-celled ovary and 5 styles, the latter being 
very short and connate into a minute cone or column. It was therefore 
correctly transferred to that genus by Harms in Engler and Prantl’s “* Pflanzen- 
familien.” At the same time, it may be mentioned that Pseudopanaxr as at 
present constituted contains two very different sets of species—one comprising 
P. discolor and the allied P. Lessonii and P. Gilliesii; the other including the 
species with strongly marked heteromorphous foliage, as P. crassifolium, P. ferox, 
and P. chathamicum. These two divisions appear to me to deserve the rank of 
distinct genera. 
Pseudopanax discolor forms a handsome shrub 6 ft. to 15 ft. high, and is remark- 
able for its peculiar bronzy or yellow-green foliage. Its nearest ally, as remarked 
above, is undoubtedly P. Lessonii ; but that species is larger and much more 
robust, with a very different habit of growth, and has dark-green coriaceous foliage, 
the leaflets being entire or sinuate-serrate, and almost veinless. In P. discolor 
the leaflets are thin, distinctly veined, and sharply and coarsely serrate. It 
does well in cultivation, but is of slow growth. 
Pirate 74. Pseudopanax discolor, drawn from specimens collected on the Little Barrier Island 
by Miss Shakespear and myself. Fig. 1, flower-bud (x 4); 2, male flower (x 4); 3, male flower, with 
petals and stamens removed (x 4); 4, stamen (x 6); 5, female flower (x 4); 6, the same with the 
petals, &c., removed (x 6); 7, section of ovary (x 6); 8, ripe fruit (x 3). 
