Plate 170.— PERSOONIA TORU. 



Family PROTEACE^.] [Genus PERSOONIA, Smith. 



Persoonia Toru, .4. Cunn. in Bot. Mag. aub. t. 3513 ; Cheesem. Man. N.Z. Fl. 605. 

 Persoonia Toro, Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i, 219. 



Persoonia Toru, tlie subject of this plate, was first collected by Allan Cunning- 

 ham in 1826 near the shores of the Bay of Islands, a,nd he subsequently observed 

 it at Wliangaroa and Hokianga, all tliree being districts in which it is still abundant. 

 Cunningham described it in a note to t. 3513 of the Botanical Magazine, selecting as 

 the specific name that which he then believed was applied to the plant by the Maoris. 

 In his " Precursor," however, he changed the name to Tora ; and Sir J. D. Hooker, 

 in the " Flora Novae Zelandise," again altered it to Toro. Mr. Colenso, whose 

 intimate knowledge of the Maori language entitles liis opinions on such matters to 

 great respect, states that Toru is the correct appellation, and as it certainly has 

 priority I adopted it in tlie Manual. At the same time, there is good reason to 

 believe that in many districts toro was the name generally used by the Maoris. 



Like the two preceding plants figured in this work, Persoonia Toru is a nortliern 

 species, reacliing its southern limit in the East Cape district. So far as I am aware, 

 its nortliern boundary is at Mongonui and near Kaitaia. for in the three visits that 

 I have made to the North Cape Peninsula I have failed to detect it in any station 

 further to the north. From Mongonui southwards it is a not uncommon constituent 

 of most forest districts, particularly on the outskirts of kauri forests, or in that 

 peculiar association of small trees, or small individuals of large trees, that can often 

 be observed in forest areas north of Auckland, and wliich is mainly composed of 

 Weinmannia syloicola, Leptospermum ericoides, Fusanus Cunninghamii, Phyllocladus 

 trichomanoides, Olearia Cunnitighamii, Coprosma lucida, Leucopogon fasciculatus, 

 and others, and which gradually merges into the forest proper. This association 

 often shelters multitudes of young kauris, and if left alone would form an admirable 

 nursery for a kauri forest. South of Auckland the toru gradually becomes less 

 plentiful, although it occurs in several localities in the Bay of Plenty, the Patetere 

 Plateau, Rotorua, near Waiotapu, &c. The most southern locality that I am 

 acquainted with is between Whangaparaoa and Hicks Bay, in the East Cape 

 district, where it was observed by Bishop Williams several years ago. 



The usual height of the toru when adult is from 2.5 ft. to 35 ft., but occasionally 

 it reaches 40 ft. or even more. The trunk seldom exceeds 18 in. in diameter. When 

 growing in the forest among other trees it is sparingly branched, and it is in such 

 situations that it attains its greatest height. In the open it is closely and compactly 

 branched, forming a very handsome and attractive large shrub or small tree. The 

 wood is dark red with a pretty figure, and is occasionally employed in inlaying or 

 veneering. As an ornamental shrub or tree it is well worth a place in any garden 

 in the northern portion of the Dominion. 



It is worthy of remark that the genus Persoonia, which now includes over 

 seventy well - established species, is altogether confined to Australia, with the 

 exception of the New Zealand plant. 



Plate 170. Persoonia Torn, drawn from specimens collected in the vicinity of Auckland. Fig. 1, 

 portion of inflorescence, showing two flowers and a bud (x 3) ; 2, perianth-segment and stamen (x 7) ; 

 3, anther ( x 8) ; 4, pistil (x7); 5, longitudinal section of ovary, showing a single ovule (x7); 

 6. a similar section, showing two ovules (x7); 7, section of fruit (x2); 8, seed (x4); 9, embryo 

 (x5). 



