376 Transactions.— Botany. 
The leaves exhibit a marked dimorphism at different periods of growth; 
those of the young state, especially when growing in the shade, are broadly 
ovate, from 3’-6" long and from 24'-8" across, petioled, acute or sub-acute, 
narrowed below, coriaceous and of a deep glossy green resembling those of 
Camellia japonica, but with the margins entire. The mature leaves are 
much narrower in proportion to their length, 1}’-3" long and from 1’-1}" 
broad with the midrib prominent on both surfaces, elliptic acuminate, 
brownish and rough to the touch beneath. 
T have not seen male flowers, but the female flowers are produced in vast 
abundance, the racemes being fully 14” long, 15-18-flowered, glabrous, stout; 
stigmas spreading short and thick. The drupe appears to be obscurely 
trigonous, but I have only seen three or four old specimens. 
It is worthy of note that in this species the leaves of the young tree are 
much broader than those of the mature state. In the other species the 
young leaves are invariably the narrowest. In OQ. apetala the broad leaves 
are often retained until the tree is fully grown, but this is never the case 
with either of the other species. 
This species has been collected on the Fanal Islands, Arid Islands, Great 
Barrier, Little Barrier, Taranga Islands, and at Bream Head. 
Olea cunninghamii, Hook. f. 
This is much the largest of the New Zealand species, often attaining the 
height of 70 feet, with a trunk 3-6 feet in diameter at six feet from the 
ground, while the principal branches are often ‘of large dimensions. The 
leaves are rough on both surfaces; in the young state they are linear, 
6’-10" long, 3"-%" wide, acute, ula passing into the mature form, 3-6" 
long, 14’-13” broad, oblong lanceolate or broadly lanceolate, obtuse oF 
acute. Racemes tomentose, rather shorter than those of 0. apetala, 
pedicels short, spreading at right angles to the rhachis; pistillate flowers 
with two sessile staminodia. Drupe 2’-3” long, ovoid, narrowed up 
red. 
This species occurs from the North Cape to Cook Strait, but is most 
plentiful in the southern part of the North Island, attaining its 
dimensions in the south-eastern portion of the Wellington district. At 
Pakuratahi I measured five trees growing within a short distance of each 
other, with the following results :-— 
Height of Tree. Trunk. F seeegh wa 
No. 1, jes 70 feet ve es ot 20 feet Tinches ~ 
La 2. ashe 50 ,, = 13 4 at i 
_-OWith six large arms srepeig ftom 8 om et ong ent Sifest 
ed 3. belied 60 ,, o- ot) _ 4 ” 8 » 
a 50 ,, pct SEB ec 6» tw 
Lo 5. * 60 ,, 30 ee 20 ,, 0 7” 
