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66 FLORA OF NEW ZEALAND. [ Myrtaceae. 
2. Gunnera prorepens, Hook. fil.; surculosa, parce pilosa v. glabrata, foliis longe petiolatis lineari- v. 
ovato-oblongis obtusis basi subcordatis v. in petiolum angustatis crenatis, floribus in spicam elongatam 
dispositis. 
Has. Mountainous parts of the Northern Island, Colenso. West coast of Middle Island, Lyall. 
Usually a much larger plant than G. monoica, from 1-10 inches high, depending on locality. Scions stout, 
4—8 inches long, giving off stout rooting rhizomas, and eight to ten leaves, on petioles 4—8 inches long. Leaves 
1-2 inches, ovate-oblong, blunt, crenate, sparingly pilose, cordate, or rounded, or narrowed into the petiole at the 
base. Scapes about as long as the leaves; when in fruit bearing many sessile drupes, laxly or densely spiked, which 
are as large as pepper-corns, red, fleshy, obconical or nearly globose, with an irregular deep furrow at the top, 
whence the styles protrude. Flowers not seen. 
Nar. On». XXVII. MYRTACEA, Zr. 
Gen. I. METROSIDEROS, Br. 
Calyx superus v. semisuperus; tubo tereti v. angulato; lobis 5, concavis, deciduis persistentibusve. 
Petala 5, rotundata. Stamina perplurima; filamentis elongatis, capillaribus v. filiformibus; antheris parvis. 
Ovarium 3-loculare; ovulis plurimis, angulo superiore loculi pendulis; stylo elongato, simplici, recto. Cap- 
sula coriacea, calyce immersa v. semisupera, tubo calycis arcte accreta v. soluta, apice v. ad medium 3- 
valvis, rarius lateraliter irregulariter rupta. Semina plurima, linearia; testa reticulata.— Folia opposita. 
Erect or scandent large trees or bushes, with opposite, entire, coriaceous leaves, covered with pellucid dots, 
and generally very showy panicles or heads of red flowers crowned with long erect stamens. Calya wholly or half 
adnate with the ovarium, with a persistent thickened rim, and five rounded, persistent, or deciduous lobes. Petals 
five, rounded. Stamens very numerous and long, forming a crown at the mouth of the calyx. Ovary generally 
three-celled ; ovules many, pendulous from the inner angles of the cells. Style one, simple, erect. Capsule coria- 
ceous, half or wholly enclosed in the calyx, three-celled, three-valved at the apex, or bursting irregularly ; seeds very 
numerous, slender, linear or clavate, reticulated, pale brown.—This genus belongs to a group of Myrtacee, including 
400 to 500 species, all but one of which are confined to the Old World; one alone being found in the New, in 
South Chili: one is African (Cape of Good Hope), the rest are exclusively Australian, Malayan, and Pacific Islands 
plants. Metrosideros itself is most abundant in New Zealand, and in forming climbing trees is quite exceptional in 
the Order to which it belongs. (Name porrpa, heart-wood, and owBnpos, iron; from the hardness of the timber.) 
§ a. Capsule indehiscent, surrounded by the calyx and crowned with its cup-shaped border. 
1. Metrosideros florida, Sm.; scandens, glaberrima ramulisve teretibus puberulis, foliis (2 unc.) 
petiolatis elliptico-oblongis obtusis nervis creberrimis, thyrso terminali ramoso, calyce turbinato angulato 
lobis persistentibus, fructu crasso urceolato 6-costato, floribus magnis. Smith in Linn. Trans. v. 3. p. 268. 
De Cand. Prodr. A. Rich. A. Cunn. Melaleuca florida e£ Leptospermum scandens, Forst. Tas. XV. 
Has. Northern Island, and Middle Island, in forests. Bay of Islands, etc., frequent, Forster, Cun- 
ningham, etc.; Hutt Valley and Ship Cove, Zyall. Fl. December. Nat. names, “Raka pika,” R. Cunn.; 
“Rata,” Middle Island, Zya//. (Cultivated in England.) 
A stout-trunked plant, climbing the loftiest forest-trees. Branches round, with pale bark; branchlets puberu- 
lous. Leaves 14-3 inches long, on short petioles, elliptic-oblong, blunt, with a stout costa and numerous horizon- 
tally branching nerves. Flowers pink, with scarlet stamens, collected into threes on a dichotomously branched, 
many-flowered, terminal thyrsus, as large as a fist. Calyx obconic, angled, 3 inch long, mouth very open; lobes 
