KiEK. — Becent 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 confined 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 

 fact that there are two or more forms of true F. crassifoHum, one of which 

 is characterized by 5-celled fruit, the other by 4-celIed. Further, there is 

 reason to believe that the young ovaries are nearly alwaj-s 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 hj authors under F. " crassifolium "; — 



1. P. crassifolium, Den. and Planch.; Hook, f., "Handbook of New 



Zealand Flora," p. 101. F. lonciissimum, Hook, f., ib. p. 102 ; 



Buchanan, Trans. N. Z. Inst., IX., p. 530, pi. XXI. Aralia 



crassifolia, Banks and Sol. ; Fl. N.Z., p. 96, 



A small dioBcious 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 3-foliolate leaves, of which 



the petioles are about 3 inches ; leaflets 3-6 inches, at first resembling the 



early leaves but less coriaceous, J-^-inch wide, with bold, distant, somewhat 



falcate 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-li inches wide, narrowed into stout petioles J-l-inch long, with 



few serratures, or quite entire. Umbels termmal, compound, primary rays 



about 8, 2-3 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, coimate 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 3-foliolate and ultimate stages ; ripe fruit nearly ^ of an 

 inch in diameter. 

 /3. Leaves dimorphic, never trifoliolate, not obviously jointed to 

 the petiole, fruit more densely crowded than in a and smaller. 



x2 



