Krnk.—Hecent Additions to the New Zealand Flora. xxxiii 
Moreover, the original specimens of Banks and Solander were collected 
in the North Island, while Mr. Buchanan's plant is eonfined to the South 
Island, where it is extremely local and is not known to occur in any of the 
localities visited by Captain Cook. 
Mr. Buchanan bases his identification chiefly upon Hooker's description 
of the fruit of P. crassifolium as 5-celled, but this is easily explained by the 
faet that there are two or more forms of true P. crassifolium, one of which 
is characterized by 5-celled fruit, the other by 4-celled. Further, there is 
reason to believe that the young ovaries are nearly always 5-celled ; one or 
more cells becoming suppressed at an early stage of growth. 
The following is a summary of our present knowledge of the forms 
included by authors under P. « crassifolium ”:— 
1. P. crassifolium, Den. and Planch.; Hook. f., ‘‘ Handbook of New 
Zealand Flora," p. 101. P. longissimum, Hook. f., ib. p. 102 ; 
Buchanan, Trans. N. Z. Inst., IX., p. 630, pl. XXI. Aralia 
crassifolia, Banks and Sol. ; Fl. N.Z., p. 96. 
A small diccious tree 20-35 feet high; leaves di- or tri-morphic ; on 
young plants up to 15 feet high, simple, linear, rigid, coriaceous, 12-30 
inches long, spreading or drooping so that the under surface forms an acute 
angle with the stem, remotely or sinuately toothed, narrowed into a short, 
stout petiole, purplish below, brownish-green above, with more or less 
irregular pale blotches; abruptly passing into 8-foliolate leaves, of which 
the petioles are about 3 inches; leaflets 3-6 inches, at first resembling the 
early leaves but less coriaceous, 1—1-inch wide, with bold, distant, somewhat 
faleate teeth; gradually passing into wider, more coriaceous forms, with 
ordinary serratures more or less distant; ultimately succeeded by the 
mature unfoliolate state, lanceolate, oblanceolate, or obovate, 3-7 inches 
long, 1-1} inches wide, narrowed into'stout petioles }-1-inch long, with 
few serratures, or quite entire. Umbels terminal, compound, primary rays 
about 8, 2-8 inches long, ultimate rays 4-6, sub-racemose or umbellate, 
flowers on short pedicels. Male petals 5, stamens 5, abortive ovaries with 
5 styles. Female, ovary 5- or 4-celled, styles 5 or 4, connate at the base, 
tips barely free ; fruit globose 5- or 4-celled. 
Of this we have at least two principal forms. 
a. crassifolia vera. Leaves trimorphic, leaflets of trifoliolate and 
mature leaves jointed to the petiole ; flowers produced both in 
the 83-foliolate and ultimate stages; ripe fruit nearly i of an 
inch in diameter. 
B. Leaves dimorphic, never trifoliolate, not obviously jointed to 
the petiole, fruit more densely crowded than in a and smaller. 
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