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 2^"-3" 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, lV'-3" long and from 1"-1|-" 

 broad with the midrib prominent on both surfaces, elliptic acuminate, 

 brownish and rough to the touch beneath. 



I have not seen male flowers, but the female flowers are produced in vast 

 abundance, the racemes being fully l^'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 0. aijetala 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 cunmnghamii, 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, f"-f" wide, acute, gradually passing into the mature form, 3"-6" 

 long, l;^"-lf" broad, oblong lanceolate or broadly lanceolate, obtuse or 

 acute. Eacemes tomentose, rather shorter than those of 0. ajjetala, 

 pedicels short, spreading at right angles to the rhachis; pistillate flowers 

 with two sessile staminodia. Drupe ^"-i" long, ovoid, narrowed upwards, 

 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 greatest 

 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 : — 



No. 





Height of Tree. 



Trunk. 



Girth at 5 feet 

 from the base. 



1. 



70 feet 



— 



20 feet 7 inches 



2. 



50 „ 



12 



13 „ 4 „ 





(With six large arms averaging from 

 in circumference at the middle.) 



15 to 20 feet long, and 5 feet 



3. 



60 „ 



35 



4 „ 8 „ 



4. 



50 „ 



35 



6 „ 4 „ 



5. 



60 „ 



30 



20 „ „ 



