112 Specimen of the Botany of New Zealand. 



The wood of this plant, which is hard and heavy, takes a most 

 beautiful polish, and its grain seems to be only a continuation of hard 

 knots, which gives it a peculiar but very beautiful appearance when 

 wrought. Yate's New Zealand, p. 47. 



556. M. perforata ; ramosissima ramulis hirtis, foliis ovalibns obtusis co- 

 riaceis, aveniis glabviusculis superne nitidis, brevissime petiolatis punctatis, 

 juvenilibusprEesertirn subtus pilosis, pedunculisaxillaribusuniflorisapice sae- 

 piusve triflovis. A. Rich. Fl. Nov. Zel. p. 3S4. — Melaleuca perforata, Forst. 

 Prodr. n. 212. — Leptospermum perforatum. Forst. Gen. Char. 36. n. 4. 



New Zealand (Middle Island). — 1773, G. Forster. Astrolabe Harbour. 

 1827, D'Urville. 



Arbuscula ramosissima erecta. Folia ovalia unguiculata. Flares ytQxvwW, 

 albi, axillares, solitarii aut terni. Calyx monosepalus adherens ; tubo tur- 

 binate pilosiusculo limbo 5 — 6-dentato, dentibus latis obtusis. Corolla 5 — 6 

 petala, petalis sessilibus obtusis subconcavis, caducis. Stamina niunerosa, 

 simplici serie disposita. Stylus simplex, teres, stigmata minimo depresso 

 vix distincto terminatus. Capsula globoso-depressn, 3- rarissime 4-locnlaris, 

 loculis polyspermis. Semina numerosa parvula subulata. A. Rich. 



557. M. robusta, foliis ellipticis ovatisve coriaceis obtusis emarginatis pe- 

 tiolatis glabriusculis subtus punctatis utrinque puichre reticulato-venosis, 

 corymbis terminalibus, peduiiculissubtrifloris, calycibus bracteis ramulisque 

 ferrugineo-tomentosis. 



Rata abincolis dicitur, R. Cunningham, 



New Zealand (Northern Island). Forests of Wangaroa, Hokianga, &c., 

 at some distance from the sea-coast. — 1826, A. Cunningham. — 1834, R. Cun- 

 ningham. 



Arbor procera, saepe usque 80-pedalis alta, coma irregular!, ramis glabris 

 teretibus. Folia opposita, elliptica, ovalia vel oblongo-ovata. Facie Ligustri ; 

 apice rotunda vel emarginata 1 vel sesquiunciam longa. /Yores pulcberrimi, 

 purpureo-rubicundi, pedimculati, corymbosi, terminales, bracteis obovatis 

 concavis deciduis. Stamina numerosa, petalis unguicularibus persistentibus 

 quater longiora stylum subaequantia. Stigma tubulosum. Capsula obovata 

 trilocularis, tubo turbinate calycis circumcingente adhserens, polysperma. 

 Semina linearia, subulata. 



A noble tree, frequent in the dense forests of the Northern Island, 

 where it not unusually attains the height of 80 feet ; becomes ramified 

 at from 30 to 60 feet from the ground, and beneath the branches, 

 which are of very irregular growth, the trunk varies from 3 to 7 feet 

 in diameter, according to the extreme height of the tree. The wood 

 is hard, close-grained, very durable, and hence admirably adapted 

 for ships' timbers and the construction of agricultural implements. 

 A colonial trading vessel from Port Jackson was built by Messrs. 

 Macdonell at Hokianga in 1828, the principal timbers of which were 

 of the Uata ; and the experiment answered so well, that they are now 



