248 PLANTS OF NEW ZEALAND 



Gemis ElceocarpuH. 



Soft-wooded trees, with alternate leaves, and long racemes of white or 

 greenish flowers. The two New Zealand species are endemic. Leaves coriaceous, 

 serrate. Fruit a drupe. (Name from the Greek, signifying an olive and fruit, 

 the drupe resembling an olive in appearance.) 



Elaeocappus dentatus (The Toothed Elceocarims) . 



A round-headed tree, with trunk 1ft. -3ft. in diameter, and oblong-obovate 

 leaves, with recurved margin. The leaves of E. Hookeriamts are linear, oblong 

 or lanceolate, and the margins are flat. This distinction enables the two species 

 to be separated. Maori name Hinau. Both islands. Fl. Oct. -Nov. 



One of the most beautiful flowering trees in the New 

 Zealand bush. In a good season, the whole tree is covered 

 with racemes of creamy, saucer-shaped flowers, each raceme 

 having the appearance of a spray of lily-of -the- valley. The 

 petals are deeply fringed at the edges, and the leaves are 

 strongly notched. The fruit resembles the damson, and was 

 used for food by the Maoris, who greatly valued it. A chief who 

 owned a fine grove of Hinau trees was considered a wealthy 

 man, while to rob the grove of its fruit was regarded as 

 a capital offence. The fruit was prepared in the following 

 way : — It was collected into the hull of a canoe, and soaked in 

 water. After a long steeping, the berries were rubbed between 

 the hands, the stalks and skins strained out, and the coarse 

 grey meal, left behind, was made into a cake, baked and eaten. 

 This cake had a dark appearance, and was too oily for 

 European tastes. 



Rats are very fond of the kernel of this fruit, and bore 

 cleverly through the shell in order to obtain it. 



The bark of the Hinau makes an excellent blue-black dye, 

 and was used by the Maoris for dyeing the black threads in 

 their garments. This bark contains over twenty per cent, of 

 tannin, but is not much used. Tlie wood is difficult to burn, 

 and might be employed with advantage where there is special 

 danger of fire. In the Maori language Jii signifies to bleed or 

 emit sap ; )f((n is a shrub or tree. 



