Plate 177.— FUSANUS CUNNINGHAMII. 



Family SANTALACE^.l [Genus FUSANUS, R. Br. 



Fusanus Cunninghamii, Bevth. a.d Hook. /. ex T. Kirk, Forest Fl. t. 75, 76 ; Cheesem. Man. 

 Santalum Cunninghamii, Hook. j. Fl. Nov. Zel. i, 223. 



a- J''?^^"tlt^^^* ""^ ^^'^ P'^**^' ^"^ ^^^"^^ ^ '■^^^''^ *be specific name proposed by 

 Sir J. D. Hooker was originally discovered by Allan Cunningham in forests at 

 Whangaroa and the Bay of Islands in 1826. Cunningham correctly referred it to 

 the bantalacea', and, believing that it constituted an undescribed genus, proposed 

 to call It Mida, which he took to be the Maori name for the plant. In this he made 

 an unfortunate error, the correct name, as every student of the Maori language 

 knows, being maire. He committed a further mistake in attaching too much 

 importaiice to variations in the width of the leaf in various specimens collected by 

 him. He considered that these variations represented distinct species, and hence 

 described his genus Mula as comprising three species : Mida salicifolia, with narrow- 

 lanceolate leaves (see the fruiting specimen figured on the accompanying plate): 

 Mida eucahjptotde.s. with lanceolate leaves ; and Mida myrtifolia, with oval or ovate- 

 lanceolate leaves (see the flowering specimens figured). A very little observation 

 would have shown him how untrustworthy these differences are, for all three forms 

 of leaves can be found on the same plant. In 1843 Sir William Hooker figured 

 two of the forms in the " Icones Plantarum " (tt. 563, 575), pointing out that they 

 represented nothing more than slight varieties ; and, as he considered that 

 Cunningham s genus Mida was inseparable from Santalum, he proposed that the 

 plant should in future bear the name of Santalum. Mida. But Sir J. D Hooker 

 m the "Flora Novae Zelandise," pointed out that Mida was not the Maori name 

 of the plant, and that to adopt it was only a further instance of the impropriety 

 of using Native names for scientific purposes, a practice which had " introduced 

 confusion into the botany of every country, and served no good purpose " He 

 consequently suggested the new name of Santalum Cunninghamii, which at once 

 received general recognition. 



c. Of late years the genus Santahim has been more or less subdivided. In the 

 Genera Plantarum " our plant was placed in the Australian genus Fusanus, which 

 ditters from Santalum in the structure of the disc and in other characters But it 

 was also admitted that the New Zealand species was sufficiently distinct to form a 

 subgenus for which Cunningham's name of Mida was revived. It seems not 

 improbable that some day it will be fully restored to generic rank. Whether that 

 IS the case or not, it is to be hoped that fresh confusion will not be caused 

 by a needless change of the specific name. 



Fusanus Cunninghamii forms a small tree from 10 ft. to 25 ft. in height with 

 a trunk which seldom exceeds 9 in. in diameter. As already mentioned ' it is 

 remarkable for the great variation in the shape of the leaves, which vary from 

 linear to oblong-ovate. Leaves of very different shapes can often be found on the 

 same branch, but it is also common for the leaves to be fairly constant Young 

 plants show the greatest tendency to variation, and usually have narrower leaves 

 than older individuals. Owing to the small size of the tree the wood is little used 

 but It IS known to be hard and dense, and it might well be employed in ornamental 

 turnery and inlaying. 



f ^^!*^c?^"^ ^'^^^''^'^ extends as far south as Cape Palliser, on the northern shore 

 ot took Strait, it is rare and local to the south of Rotorua and the East Cape. It 



