﻿Kirk. — On the New Zealand Pittosporads. 261 



its author as to tlie specific validity of some of the forms originally described 

 have been confirraed. It is, therefore, of some importance that our present 

 knowledge of the genus should be arranged in a connected form, and made 

 available for further research. 



It must, however, be pointed out that the present information is not suffi- 

 ciently complete to admit of the preparation of a permanent revision of the 

 genus, chiefly owing to the absence of any knowledge of the limits of variation 

 in the southern forms. 



The New Zealand species vary from small shrubs one foot in height, to 

 trees of forty feet and upwards ; they usually occur on the margins of forests, 

 or in low-growing bush, particularly affecting the sloping sides and spui'S of 

 open gullies. P. crassifoliimi and P. wmhellatum are invariably confined to 

 littoral habitats, although often found at a considerable height on the cliffs, 

 F. cornifolium usually, and P. Kirhii occasionally are epiphytic. P. loiineleoides, 

 a remai'kably local species, is restricted to clay hills near the Bay of Islands, 

 and from the undisci-iminating manner in which the open country has been 

 cleared by fire has become very rare in its limited area. The seeds of all the 

 species are imbedded in a viscid pulp, and a resin is exuded from the bark of 

 P. crassifolium, P. eugenioides, and others. 



The genus exhibits a pre-eminently northern distribution in the colony, 

 although a few species have a remarkably restricted range ; only two species 

 are known to occur from the North Cape to Invercargill ; three species are 

 common to both islands ; two are peciiliar to the South Island ; eleven are 

 confined to the North Island. Of these last eight are not known to occur south 

 of the pi'ovince of Auckland, and of these, again, four are restricted to the 

 district north of the Auckland Isthmus. 



The altitudinal range of the New Zealand species is, with one or two 

 exceptions, extremely limited, as might fairly be expected from its horizontal 

 distribution. P. rigidiom and P. Kirhii are known to occur up to 2,000 feet, 

 and will probably be found at greater altitudes in the centi-al ranges of the 

 North Island. P. jjatulum, a remarkably local species, occurs at 5,000 feet in 

 the province of Nelson. 



The absence of any member of the genus from the Auckland Islands and 

 the Chathams is significant, although there is reason to believe that at least 

 one of the forms of P. tenui/olium is found in the latter group. On the other 

 hand, the islands of the east coast of the province of Auckland exhibit a pro- 

 fusion of species — seven are found on the small island of Kawau, and nine on 

 the Great Bariier. 



The ti-unk of P. eugenioides attains a diameter of nearly two feet, and is 

 occasionally rivalled by P. crassifolium, which is usually much smaller. The 

 wood is perishable and of little use, even for firewood ; from its whiteness and 



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