226 PLANTS OF NEW ZEALAND 



Coriariaceae. 



THE TUTU FAMILY. 



Distribution. A small family of about 12 species, found in Europe, China,. 

 Japan, India, Peru, and New Zealand. The four New Zealand forms vary 

 greatly. 



Genus Coriaria. 



Herbaceous plants, or small trees. Bacemes erect or drooping. Flowers 

 axillary. Leaves, J in. -3 in. long. 4 sp. 



Coriaria ruscifolia (The Buscus-leaved Coriaria). 



A small tree, with shining opposite leaves, and long drooping racemes of 

 tiny, greenish flowers. These racemes are Gin. - 12in. long. The flower petals 

 become red and fleshy while the seeds are ripening, and are filled with a purple 

 juice. Both islands. Fl. Sept. -Oct. Maori Name : Tupakihi or Tutu. (Ruscus 

 is the plant known as the Butcher's Broom.) 



The family Coriariaceae possesses only one genus, Coriaria^ 

 whose remarkable distribution has been given above. Of the 

 New Zealand species, two, C. ruscifolia, and C. thymifolia, are 

 said to be found also in South America ; the identity, however, 

 of thp.se forms with ours has been questioned. This dis- 

 tribution has been used to prove a former land connection 

 between New Zealand and South America, but the order is 

 probably a very ancient one, and the discontinuity of 

 distribution is more likely to be due to relict endemism, 

 than to direct communication between these two remote 

 districts. The family may at one time have been widely 

 distributed over the face of the globe, and have died out in all 

 places except those in which it is now found. 



C. thymifolia is known in New Granada as the Ink-plant, 

 as the juice of its fruit is used as a writing fluid. Bather a 

 curious character of the genus is the formation of the fruit 

 from the persistent petals, which become fleshy and full of 

 purple juice. 



