THE " MATIPO " FAMILY 189 



leaflets in from 1-9 pairs. Flowers in slender racemes, 2 in. -6 in. long. Single 

 flowers 3^ in. across, white. Capsule shining. Seed with a tuft of hairs at either 

 end. North Island. Fl. Jan. -Feb. Maori names, Tawhero, Kainahi. 



Weinmannia racemosa {Tiw Racemose Weinmannia). 

 A tree, from 70 ft. -90 ft. in height, with larger leaves and flowers than those 

 of W. silvicola. Leaves coriaceous, serrate, usually 1-foliolate, though young 

 shoots often develop 3-foliolate leaves. Racemes stout, erect, 1 in. -4 in. long. 

 Flowers white i in. across. Both islands. Fl. Jan. 



Pittosporaceae. 



The " Matipo " Family. 



Distribution. — A small family, chiefly Australian. All the New Zealand 

 species are endemic. The North Island is richer in species than the South. 

 Some of the Australian species are cultivated for their flowers and coloured 

 berries. 



Getiiis Pittosporwm. 



Flowers regular, axillary or in terminal umbels ; dark-purple, red, or 

 yellowish green. Petals often recurved. Capsule woody. Some of the species 

 were known to the Natives as Mapatc. 18 sp. 



Pittospopum tenuifolium. {The Thin-leaved Pittospormn). 



A small tree, with black bark, and flowers of so dark a purple as to appear at 

 times almost black. The branches give out a pungent odour when broken. 

 Leaves pale-green below, often reddish above, undulate, 1 in. -3 in. long. Capsule 

 3-valved. A very variable plant, of which there are four named kinds. PI. 

 Sept. -Nov. 



This species is largely used for the formation of ornamental 

 hedges, and is then called the " Matipo." This is a misnomer, 

 as the Maoris apparently applied this name to a species of 

 Myrsine. P. tenuifolium was called by them the Taivhi- 

 whi. The fragrant gum taken from it was collected and 

 hung round the neck in a sachet {v. Aciphylla Colensoi). 

 The plant is evidently pollinated by insects. The flowers are 

 bright purple at first, but become darker, and finally almost 



