GENUS I. 

 CORYNOCARPUS. (Forsf.) The Corynocarpus. 



Gkxrku' C'haraitkh. — A snmll. poi-fritly glubroiis tree. 

 Leaves, altenmte. broad, briglit-greeii, entire, eoriaeeous. 

 Flowers in branelied teriniiial paiiiele.-*, small, green. Calyx, 

 r»-lobe(l ; lobes rovindeil, imbrieate. Petals, 5 ; perigvnous, 

 rounded, eoneave, erect, inibrieate. jagged. Di.sk, llesliy, 

 5-lobed. Stamens 5, inserted between the lobes of the disk, 

 alternating with 5 petaloid, jagged scales. Ovary, sessile, 



Ovoid. 1-ielled, narrowed into an erect style, stigma capitate; 

 ovule, pendulous below the top of the ceil. Drupe, obovoid, 

 fleshy ; endocarp coriaceous and fibrous. Seed, pendulous ; 

 testa niembrauous, adherent to the cell ; cotyledons, plano- 

 convex, radicle minute. — Handbook of t/ie yew Zealand 

 Hora, p. 46. 



Description, etc. — A genus restricted to New Zealand, with only one species, 

 Corynocarpus icevigata ; said to derive its name from its club-shaped fruit, and smooth, 

 lavu'cl-like leaves. The tree is valued for its beauty by the settlers, and for its fruit by 

 the Natives. The pulp of the drupe is eaten in its raAv state, but the seed itself when 

 partaken of, without certain preparation, is poisonous. The berry is called in Maori 

 " Pakaraka." The tree is indigenous to the sea coast, but is found occasionally far 

 inland, where it has been planted by the Natives. It occurs at Chatham Islands, and is 

 said by Dr. Dieft'enbach to be endemic. It has, likewise, been found on the Kermadec 

 Islands, by the party who proceeded there to annex them to New Zealand, in 

 August, 1887. 



1. CORYNOCARPUS LAEVIGATA. {Forst.) The Smooth-leaved Corynocarpus. 



Specific Character. — A leaf j tree 40 ft. liigli. Leaves, 

 ■1—7 in. long, oblong, or lanceolate, sub-aeute, shining, on 

 eliort, stout petioles. Panicles, erect, thyrsoid, spreading, 

 4 in. long. Flowers, small, globose, ^ in. diameter, greenish 



white, inodorous, in short, stout pedicels. Petals, as long as 

 the calvx-lobes, concave. Filaments, stout, subulate. Ovary, 

 small, glabrous. I >rupe, 1 in. long, oblong — Handbook of the 

 Xetv Zealand Flora, p. 46 



Description, etc.— Plate No. 24.— The "KARAKA." This well-known and 

 handsome tree is peculiar to the Northern Island. It is foimd abundantly near the sea- 

 shore, where it forms groves, though it sometimes occiu-s inland, probably the result of 

 propagation by the Maoris in former times, for food purposes. It is stated that a grou}) 

 of Karaka exist at Little Akaroa, in the Canterbury district, and two or three solitary 

 trees occur at CoUingwood, and at Karamea, in the Nelson district, in all instances 

 luidoubtedly the outcome of Native culture. The tree attains a height of from thirty to 

 forty feet, and has a trunk from one to two feet in diameter. The wood is white, short- 

 grained, and soft, splits well, but is not durable. The broad, glossy foliage, T^'ith its cool 

 undershade, marks the Karaka as an object of interest to the weary traveller on a hot 

 summer's day. Its Avide-spreading branches offering a welcome retreat from the sim's 

 rays. Horses and cattle are exceedingly fond of its foliage, and thrive well upon it. The 

 tree blossoms in October, but its flowers are small, green, and inodorous. It is best 

 seen to advantage in the month of February, when it is laden with tempting looking 



