Plate 176.— EIATKANTHE ADAMSIL 



Family LORANTHACE.^.] [Genus ELYTRANTHE, Blume. 



Elytranthe Adamsii, Engl, in Engl, and Pmntl, Pftanzenj. Naehtr. i, 126 ; dheesein. Mav. 



N.Z. Fl. 1149. 

 Loranthus Adamsii, Cheesem. in Trans. N.Z. Inst, xiii (1881), 296. 



Elytranthe Adamsii appears to have been originally discovered by Mr. T. Kirk, 

 for there are specimens of old date in his herbarium labelled as having been collected 

 in the Hunua Ranges. Through a curious misconception, he referred it to the 

 totally different E. tetrupetalus, which is at once distinguished by its smaller size 

 and more compact habit, by the smaller leaves, and by the much smaller flowers 

 which ultimately split to the base into 4 free petals, whereas in E. Adamsii the 

 corolla only splits to the base on one side, the 4 short lobes then pointing almost 

 in one direction. In 1880 it was gathered in some quantity by Mr. J. Adams in 

 the Thames district. Under his guidance, I had an opportunity of examining the 

 plant in this habitat, and of obtaining a good suite of flowering specimens. From 

 these I prepared a description of the species under the name of Loranthus Adamsii. 

 Since then the genus Loranthus has been more or less disnaembered. and the plant 

 is now placed by Engler and other systematists in the genus Elytranthe. 



Elytranthe Adamsii is usually parasitic on Myrsine Urvillei, Melicope ternata, 

 and several species of Cnprosma. It forms a small glabrous bush seldom more than 

 2 ft. or 3 ft. in diameter. In habit and mode of growth it much resembles E. Colensoi, 

 and the foliage of the two plants is almost precisely similar. E. Colensoi, however, 

 is a much larger plant, with a considerably more developed inflorescence, and the 

 flowers are larger, ultimately splitting to the base into 4 free petals. I have already 

 pointed out its differences from E. tetrapetalus. 



I am not aware of any other localities for Elytranthe Adamsii beyond those 

 already quoted of the Hunua Ranges and the Thames, but there can be little doubt 

 that it has a more extensive range. While on the subject of the LoranthacecF, I 

 would suggest that search should be made in the Hawke's Bay District for 

 Phrygilanthus tenuiflorus, originally discovered by Mr. Colenso at the base of the 

 Ruahine Range (see his "Visits to the Ruahine Range," p. 11) ; and at the Bay 

 of Islands and Whangaroa for the allied Phrygilanthus Raoulii, found in the two 

 localities by Allan Cunningham and Raoul. These two plants have not been seen 

 since their original discovery, more than seventy years ago. 



Plate 176. Elytranthe Adamsii, drawn from specimens collected by Mr. J. Adams near the Hape 

 Greek, Thames. Fig. 1, flower-bud just previous to expansion (x H) ; 2 and 3, front and back view 

 of anthers ( x 4). 



