32 



THE ABT ALBUM OF NEW ZEALAND FLORA. 



(2.) P. CoLENSOi; (3.) p. patulum; (4.) P. reflexum ; (5.) P. RiGiDnr ; (G.) P. 



OBCORDATUM; (7.) P. FASCICULATUM ; (8.) p. CRASSIFOLIUM ; (9.) P. ITMBELLATUM ; 



(10.) p. EU6ENI0IDES ; (11.) P. CORNIFOLIUM ; (12.) P. PIMELEOIDES. Of tliese, the 

 first six liave alternate leaves, with flowers solitary or two together, axillary ; the 

 remainder have likewise alternate leaves, excepting the last two, which have their loaves 

 Avhorled ; the flowers of these latter are either fascicled, corymhose, or panicled. 



1. PITTOSPORUM TENUIFOLIUM {Banks ^'- Sol.) The Thin-leaved Pittosporum. 



Specific Charactee. — A bush or small tree, 2U-40 ft. 

 high, with slender trunk ; younf; shoots and leaves often 

 pubescent. Leaves 1-2 in. long, broadly oblong or elliptic- 

 obovate, obtuse, aeiite or aecuminate, quite entire, undulate, 

 rather membranous, glabrous or pubeseent on the mid-rib. 

 Petiole short. Flowers axillary, solitary, on curved pub- 

 escent peduncles as long or longer than the calyx, variable in 



size i~j in. long. Sepals very variable in form and shape, 

 from broadly-ovate to linear-oblong, silky or glabrous. Petals 

 dark purple. Ovary pubescent. Capsule size of a small nut, 

 usually 3-valved. broadly-obovoid, downy when young, 

 glabrous and rugose when old. — Handbook- of Xew Zeafand 

 Flora, p. 19. 



Description, etc. — Fig 1, Plate No. 8. — This small evergreen tree, known hy the 

 native names of " Kowhiwhi," or " Maiipariki," ahounds on the eastern coasts of both 

 Islands. It does not attain any great height, and seldom exceeds from 10-12 inches in 

 the thickness of its trunk. It is found in almost any little clump of hush, and presents 

 a very pleasing and neat appearance. The wood is white, and adapted for turnery of a 

 light character, otherwise it is valueless. Even as firewood it is despised, and bears the 

 all too susrsrestive name of "Bucket of Water Wood," so little is it calculated l)v its 

 combustive properties to enliven the domestic hearth. As a garden hedge, it forms one 

 of the best, and is very ornamental. As an addition to a shrubbery it is pretty 

 and attractive. Young plants may be purchased from nurserymen, in common with 

 other Pittosporads, or they can be easily transplanted from their native homes in the 

 bush. The genus Tiltosporiim is abundant in Australia, and supplies of seedlings 

 are, in each planting season, introduced into New Zealand for sale as garden shrubs, 

 and are much prized. There is no reason whatever that our own native plants should 

 not be as much esteemed and cultivated ; they are equally as suitable for garden 

 purposes, and quite as ornamental. The Kowhiwhi blossoms in early summer, the 

 flowers are solitary, and of a brownish- crimson colour. The cajjsule, or seed pod, is 

 about the size of a small nut, and contains the seeds, which are immersed in hard 

 albumen. When ripe, the woody capsule bursts open and discloses the seed. 



