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THE AET ALBUM OF NEW ZEALAND FLORA. 



11. PITTOSPORUM CORNIPOLIUM (A. Cunn.) The Cornel-leaved Pittosporum. 



Specific Character. — A small slender shrub, 2—1 ft. 

 high, with forked or whorled branches, everywliere glabrous, 

 except the young shoots and inflorescence, which jiresent a 

 few long silky hairs. Leaves 1-2 in. long, whorled, obovate, 

 or elliptic-lanceolate, shortly petioled, quite entire and 

 glabrous, coriaceous. Flowers polygamous, on very slender 



terminal 1-2 flowered peduncles, dingy red, J in. long. Pe- 

 duncles pilose, of the males J-l in ; female \-\ in. long. 

 Sepals very narrow, sidmlate. Petals as narrow with slender 

 tips. Capsule .i in. long, brcadly obovate, or obcordate, com- 

 pressed ; valves yellow inside, coriaceous. Seeds large. — 

 Handbook of New Zealand Flora, p. 21. 



Description, etc., Plate No. 10.— The " PIRIPIRI."— This remarkahle and in- 

 teresting jilant is peculiar to the eastern and southern coasts of the Northern Island, 

 where it is common; always, or nearly so, growing epiphytically on trunks of forest 

 trees. It is not at all unusual to find this plant growing out of the centre of a clump of 

 Astelia; which again, in its turn, clings to the stalwart trunk of a lofty " Pukatea," 

 {Atherosperma Nocce Zelaitdke), or other forest denizen. The flowers are rather insig- 

 nificant, of a dingy crimson colour ; hut possess a fragrance. The capsule, or seed pod, 

 is very smgular in structure. The seeds are blackish purple, and lie embedded in a thick 

 yelloAV gluten within the capsule, which, when open, forms two valves, or flaps, of a 

 bright orange colour, producing a very showy effect. As soon as the gluten dries the 

 the seeds become detached, and fall. Our plate jiourtrays accurately the various stages 

 of the seed receptacles during the ripening process, which reaches comjjletion in the 

 month of July. 



OTHER SFECIES OF PITTOSPORUM. 



12. P. PIMELEOIDES {B. Cumi.) 



A very slender, branched shrub, 3-5 ft. high. Leaves spreading, Avhorled, 1 in. 



Flowers small, terminal, solitary or few; 



long, 1 



-i in. wide, rather membranous. 



peduncles, 1-flowered, very slender, ^-1 in. long. Petals very slender, yellow -red. 

 Capsule small, quite like that of P. rejlexum. This shrub is indigenous to the Northern 

 Island, and is found on dry hills at the Bay of Islands. 



13. P. BUCHANANI {Rook., F.) 

 A rambling, branched shrub ; 10-12 ft. high ; young shoots and leaves silky- 

 pubescent. Leaves scattered, 2-5 in. long, flat, quite entire, glabrous ; shining green 

 above, paler below. Sej)als long, obtuse. Petals linear, dark purple. Found near 

 Mount Tongariro, and is in cultivation in Wellington {Buchanan'). 



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