134 PLANTS OF NEW ZEALAND 



at present. It can scarcely be thought that tliey have never 

 existed there. Possibly they have been displaced. 



Genus Notliofagus. 



Shrubs or trees. Leaves leathery, stipules deciduous. Male flowers several. 

 Perianth bell-shaped, 5-6-lobed. Stamens, 8-12, inserted round a central disk. 

 Female catkins usually erect; flowers, 2-4, sessile, with an involucre formed of 

 small scales. Ovary, 3-celled ; cells, 1-ovuled. Fruit consisting of from 2-4 

 angular nuts enclosed in a prickly 4-valved involucre. (Name, signifying the 

 Southern Beech). 



N. Menziesii {Mcnzies Beech). 



A large tree, 80ft. -100ft. in height, with silvery bark. Young shoots clothed 

 with brown hairs. Lea\es shining, dark green, ^in. long, ovate or rounded, 

 obtuse, crenate. Fruiting involucre downy, jin.-^in. long, with soft spines, 

 glandular at the tips. Nuts downy, 2-3-winged ; wings sharp, pointed. North 

 Island : Ruahine Mountains and Waikare Lake ; South Island : from Nelson 

 to Dusky Bay. The * Silver Bircli or Red Birch. Fl. Nov.-]March. 



N. fusca {TJie Dusky Beech). 



Trunk 80ft. -100ft. in height, sometimes 12ft. in diameter. Branches downy. 

 Leaves lin.-ljin. long, oblong-ovate, serrate. INIale flowers 1-3 ; perianth 

 5-toothed. Fruiting involucre ovate. Nuts winged ; wings toothed. North 

 Island : mountainous districts ; South Island : abundant. The * Black Bircli or 

 Red Bircli. 



N. Solandpi iSolander's Beech). 



Trunk 100ft. in height, 4ft. -5ft. in diameter. Bark white in young trees, 

 black in old. Young shoots very downy. Leaves fin. -fin. long, oblong, obtuse, 

 entire, oblique at the base, white below. Male flowers solitary ; perianth broad. 

 Fruiting involucre, hairy or shining, fin. long ; segments with scales entire or 

 toothed. North Island : mountain forests ; South Island : alt. 3, 000ft. -6, 000ft. 

 The * White Birch. Fl. Nov. -Jan. 



N. clifToPtioides (The Cliff ortia-likc Beech). 



A small tree, with leaves rounded or cordate at the base, in other respects 

 resembling N. Solandri. North Island : Ruahine Mountains ; South Island : 

 Alps of Nelson and Canterbury. (Cliffortia is a genus of the Rosaceae.) The 

 * Mountain Birch. 



*These names are common but unreliable. 



