KiEK. — On the Neiv Zealand Olives. 577 



Above 6 feet from the ground the trunk tapers very gradually, and holds 

 its girth well up to the crown. No. 6 was a magnificent tree ; after making 

 all deductions for bark and waste, it must contain over 500 cubic feet of 

 convertible timber. 



Olea lanceolata, Hook. f. 



This makes a round-headed tree of smaller dimensions than 0. cunning- 

 hamii, being rarely more than 50 feet in height, with a trunk from 1 to 3 

 feet in diameter. Not unfrequently small specimens less than 20 feet high 

 produce fruit in abundance. 



The leaves are smooth and glossy in all stages ; in the young state 

 narrow-linear, 3"-5" long ; in the mature state linear-lanceolate or ovate- 

 lanceolate, acuminate. Eacemes slender, calyx deeply cleft, segments 

 linear. Drupe trigonous crimson. There are two primary forms of this 

 species : — 



a. Bark of twigs whitish, prominently warted, leaves ovate, lanceolate, 



acuminate, segments of calyx linear. 



b. Bark of twigs dark, scarcely warted, leaves linear-lanceolate, racemes 



more slender than in var. a, segments of perianth broader. 



This is the most common species, especially in the north. It is also 

 found at Wairoa, in the Nelson district. 



Olea montana, Hook. f. 



This species forms an excessively branched round-headed tree ; branches 

 slender. Leaves linear acute, in the young state 3"-5" long, when mature 

 l"-3" glossy. Eacemes slender, finely puberulous, 1" long, about 12-flowered. 

 Calyx lobes shallow, broad, obtuse. Styles shorter than in 0. cunninghamii. 

 Drupe ovoid, narrowed at base and apex. 



In specimens collected at Whangaroa (North) the branchlets are almost 

 capillary, and the leaves less than I" in breadth. 



0. montana is rare and local north of the Eangitikei, in some localities 

 being restricted to a few specimens, or even to a solitary tree, but in the 

 southern part of the Wellington district it is common. It is especially 

 plentiful in the valley of the Euamahanga, where it attains a large size. 



A solitary specimen at Karori is fully 60 feet high, with a trunk 40 feet 

 in the clear. Girth at base 9' 1", tapering to 7' 4" at 6 feet from the ground, 

 but above that holding its girth well up towards the crown. I have been 

 assured that specimens are found on the lower flanks of the Eimutaka fully 

 equal in dimensions to the largest specimens of 0. cunninghamii. 



It will be seen that 0. apetala has the most restricted distribution, not 

 being known to occur south of the Little Barrier Island. It extends, how- 

 ever, northward to Norfolk Island. O. lunceolata is the only species found 

 on the southern side of Cook Strait. 



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