92 PLANTS OF NEW ZEALAND 



Luzuriaga marginata* (The Marginate Luzuriaga). 



A pretty little plant, found chiefly in hilly districts. Leaves shining, fin. 

 in length. Petioles twisted. Flower terminal, white, fin. long. Berry round. 

 Both islands. Fl. Dec. and Jan. (The plant appears under the synonym 

 Callixene parviflora in Hooker's Handbook and as Enargea marginata in 

 Cheeseman) . 



Genus Cordyline. 



A genus found in New Zealand, Australia, and the Pacific Islands. The five 

 New Zealand species arc all endemic. Herbs or trees. Leaves crowded, and 

 sword-like. Flowers regular, bell-shaped, white. Stamens inserted on the 

 petals. Berry whitish, containing angular, black seeds. (Name from the Greek 

 signifying a club). 5. sp. 



Cordyline belongs to the sub-family Draccsnoideae, and is 

 therefore related to the dragon-trees. Dragon's blood is the 

 resin which exudes from the bark of Draccena Draco. A very 

 famous specimen of this tree existed on the island of Teneriffe. 

 It was supposed to be about 6000 years old, but was 

 unfortunately blown down in 1868. It was then 70 feet 

 high, and nearly 45 feet in girth. 



A peculiar secondary thickening of the stem takes place 

 in this sub-family. The primary arrangement of the bundles 

 of the stem is the same as in one of the palm-trees (v, 

 p. 82) ; but after all the woody cylinders have been originated 

 and are in course of development, a generating tissue appears in 

 certain regions of the stem round the bundles, and grows 

 radially, thus giving rise to secondary wood. For a fuller 

 description of the processes of division and extension of the 

 growing tissue, some text-book of anatomy should be con- 

 sulted. The anatomy of the stem in the New Zealand species 

 of Cordyline does not appear to be known at all fully, and 

 would probably afford a profitable subject of investigation. 



Diels makes a curious mistake with regard to C. australis. 

 He is surprised to find that it has a xerophytic structure, 



*This name is given on the authority of Engler and Prantl's Pjianzenfamilien. 



