•^6() PLANTS OF NEW ZEALAND 



Nightshade (Atiopn beUado)ina), possess strongly narcotic and poisonous pro- 

 perties. The last-named plant furnishes the valuable drug nYcojjidC. Sotanuiii 

 is the only genus found in Ne^v• Zealand. 



GeiiKs HoIaiuiDi. 



Herbs, shrubs or small trees. Flowers regular, blue, purple, or white, 

 t'aly.x and corolla 4-5-lobed ; stamens 4-5. Anthers usually exserted, forming a 

 cone in the centre of the flower. Berry round or oblong, '2-celled, many seeded. 

 (Latin name for the night-shade, f(3und in Pliny). 3 sp. 



Solan um aviculape (TJie Poro-poro). 



A branched leafy shrub. Leaves 4 in. -10 in. long, oblong or lanceolate, entire, 

 or lolled, or pinnatifid, membranous, shining. Flowers oymose, 3-10 together, 

 usually dark-purple. Anthers spreading. Berry oval ; edible. Both islands, 

 Norfolk Island, Tasmania. Fl. Dec. -March. The plant is often called by the 

 .settlers, the BuUi-bull (v. Acama, p. ■20-2). 



Solanum nigrum [Tlw Black Nightshade) . 



A common weed. Stems, 1 ft.-3 ft. high. Leaves 1 in. -4 in. long, ovate, 

 rarely lobed. Flowers J in.- J in. across, in umbels, white. Berry J in. -J in. in 

 diameter, black or red. Both islands. Fl. all summer. 



Scrophulariaceae. 



The Snap-dragon Family. 



Distribution. — A large and widely-distributed family. It is well repre- 

 sented in New Zealand hy about 100 species. A few of the species are partially 

 parasitic ; some produce deadly poisons, and many are cultivated for the beauty 

 of their flowers. The Veronica, Pox-glove, Snap-dragon, Mullein, and Calceolaria 

 are well-known garden plants. The powerful drug digitalin is prepared from the 

 Fox-glove. The leaves of Scrophulnria nodosa, Verbascum Thapsus, and Veronica 

 officinalis have also been used medicinally. 



The corolla in this order is two-lipped, but the lips are 

 closed, not open, as in the Labiatae. The flowers of the 

 snap-dragon {Antirrhinum), monkey musk (Mimulus), and 

 Calceolaria, are typical of this order, wliile those of the 

 Veronica are less so. Prom tlieir structure, it is obvious that 



