150 



JOURNAL OF THK ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Pittosporum tertmfolium. Called by the natives ' Kowhiwhi ' ; 

 flowers | | inch long; petals dark purple. The wood is white and 

 adapted for turnery. It is no good for firewood, bearing the local name 

 of ' Hucket-of- water Wood.' The plant makes a good garden shrub. 

 Another species is the thick-leaved Pittosporum, locally called 'Karo.' 

 Flowers deep purple in colour. It has been introduced successfully into 

 many gardens. The tree attains the height of 80 40 feet. The wood 

 is white, but worthless where durability is required ; used for turnery. 

 Yet another species, the Pittosporum eugenioides, locally called the 

 ' Tarata,' makes a pretty shrub, the flowers being borne in masses of 

 pale golden flowers, which have a great attraction for bees from the large 

 quantity of honey secreted in the flowers. Also the ' Piripiri,' a small 

 slender shrub, with flowers of a dingy crimson colour. 



( 'aryophyllea. —The Carnation and Chickweed family, of which various 

 genera are found, also of the Purslane family, the Portulacea, amongst 

 which is the Hcctorclla, named after Sir -James Hector, F.G.S. It is a 

 small, densely tufted, moss-like plant ; flowers white. Also there is another 

 member of this order found in rocky places at an altitude of 5,000 feet; 

 the flowers are pure white, borne in circles at the end of the branches. 



The Mallow family is represented by three species : 



1. Plagianthus. Shrubs or small trees with very tough inner bark. 



2. Hoheria.- Small trees with pellucid dotted foliage 1 . 

 H. Hibiscus.— Erect herbs, with often lobed leaves. 



I shall briefly mention the Plagianthus Lyallii. Native name ' Iloherc,' 

 known to the settlers as the ' Wild Cherry.' It blossoms in March, bearing 

 masses of delicate white flowers, named after Professor Lyall. There is 



also the Hoheria populnea, the Poplar-like Jlohcnd, height 10 20 feet, 

 confined exclusivel) to New Zealand. The bark is peculiar, being com 



posed of layer upon Layer of laced fibre, and owing to this it is called the 

 ' Thousand Jacket,' ' Lace-bark ' or ' Ribbon-wood.' 



Hibiscus Trionum. Tins is the only species of this genus found in 

 Ni w Zealand ; pale primrose coloured flowers, with a purple patch at the 

 bottom of each lobe. 



Lime Tree. Of these I shall mention two varieties. The arborescent 



Entelea, or, as the Maoris call it, the 'Whau.' The tree is 10 12 feet In 

 height. Flowers white, capsule the size of a Hazel nut. Spines nearly 

 an inch long. The foliage is greedily eaten by cattle and it is highly 

 nutrious. Thero is also the Aristotclia racemosa, locally the ' Mako Mako ' 

 tree, 20 feet high, also known in some districts as the Wineberry. The 

 berries are about the size of the garden Currant. The plant improves 

 under cultivation and is eaten by cattle. 1 might also mention another 



example of the order Tiliacea, namely, Elaocarpus dentatus, the tooth- 

 leaved variety, Maori name 4 Hinau ' or ' Whinau,' bearing racemes of 

 man) white pendulous flowers, half-inch in diameter. In olden times a 

 Dative who was the proprietor of a grove of ' Hinau ' trees was a man of 

 importance, since the berries afforded a rich harvest of food, and it was 

 considered a capital oiVence to rob a grove of these trees. 



Of the I/niuiiL family the Kla\ plant- there is one varioty, the 

 ' Rauhuia ' or ' Kaho,' which -rows everywhere in the colony. It bears 



