256 NOTES ON SOME COMPOSITH OF OTAGO, NEW ZEALAND. 
ceding, with abundant showy flower. Its wood resembles that of O. 
nitida, O. dentata, O. ilicifolia, and O. Forsteri, in being close-grained, 
with yellow markings, and thus suitable for cabinet-work (Buchanan). 
My plant is named avicenniefolia, in my herbarium by Dr. Hooker. 
Branches glabrous. Foliage resembles that of nitida, except that the 
leaf is longer and more elliptical, lanceolate, subacute, 33-4 in. long; 
varying from 3 in. to 2 in. broad, more finely and distinctly reticulate, 
fossulate above, more glossy and less black; upper surface naked, 
under surface silvery-tomentose as in the preceding. Leaf generally 
flatter, but with tendency to curling; edge entire, but usually with 
tendency to slight irregular notching. ^ Petiole about $ in. long. 
Midrib more prominent than in nitida. 
3. O. dentata, Hook. f. In the bush, and on open ground; 
Flagstaff and Pine Hill ranges, near Dunedin ; December in flower, 
Very common on the shores of Thompson’s Sound on the 
bo coast, where it ascends to 1800 feet, and attains considerable 
size, becoming sometimes a “ bush” tree (Hector). 
* New Zealand Holly " of the Otago settler, having curled and spinous 
leaves, like those of our Ilex Aquifolium, L., or Eryngium maritimum, L. 
Buchanan describes two varieties, a. oblongifolia and B. lineariifolia. 
The stem of the former he represents as attaining a diameter of 18 in. 
about Dunedin, and as furnishing a wood * close-grained and well 
marked for cabinet-work." (N. Z. Exhib. Catalogue, p. 68 
I have no doubt that O. dentata has been in great measure con- 
founded with the succeeding, to which the colonial name, and many of 
the foregoing remarks, more properly apply. 
4. O. ilicifolia, Hook. f. This has, according to the Handbook 
Fl. N. Z., distinctly spinous, Holly-like leaves; and it is this species, 
perhaps, rather than the preceding, which is hips to rank as the 
representative in Otago of our British “ Holly." Both O. dentata and 
O. ilicifolia are likely, as Buchanan remarks, if properly trained, to 
make excellent and very ornamental hedges. 
Leaf oblong in my specimens, tapering to a point, terminating 
generally in a tooth, similar to those which fringe its margin; base 
subtruncate ; about 2 in. long and 3 in. broad; margin waved as well 
as toothed ; veins nearly at right ie to midrib ; tendency to pilosity 
of tip, as in witida. Tomentum distinct only on young leaf-shoots ; 
but there is the same tendency, as in nitida and avicenniefolia, to 
