BOTANY. 
681 
colored flower and has a dark chocolate leaf. The gentiana 
montana is also found in the same locality, and the seboea 
gracilis at Hokianga. 
Fam. Apocynaceoe. — ( Parsonsia heterophylla.) 
Fam. Oleacece. — (Olea apetela,) a tree similar to the iron 
wood of Norfolk Island. 
Fam. Saptoaceoe. — ( Achras costata) . 
Fam. Myrsinacece. — Tipau , mapu ( myrsine urvillice), (myr- 
sine divaricata) , found at Hokianga. 
Karaha ( corynocarpus Icevigata). This noble tree resembles 
the English laurel, but attains the size of a timber tree, the 
leaf is large, glossy, and of a dark green, the foot stalk 
purple, the flower of a greenish white, small, and in clusters ; 
the fruit is not unlike a date, and from two to three inches 
long; it has somewhat the flavor of the apricot, but too 
strong to be agreeable ; it is called ~kopi and Icon; the 
kernel, after it has been boiled and steeped in running water 
for some days, is eaten, otherwise it produces madness, and 
relaxes the joints, so that they will bend the wrong way; the 
wood when burnt is peculiarly offensive ; the natives state this 
tree was brought with them. The karaka is found throughout 
New Zealand, and also in the Chatham isles. 
Of the extensive American Fam. Epacridece , — Mingi , monoa , 
(cyatliodes acerosa) a shrub. Patotara (leucopogon fasciculatus) , 
a diminutive heath-like shrub, producing a very fragrant white 
flower, and a small transparent edible berry of an orange color ; 
it abounds on sandy plains. Leucopogon Fraseri, pentachondra 
pumila, epacris pauci flora, but the nene, ( dracophyllum lati- 
folium,) is by far the most beautiful of this family, and attains 
the size of a tree. The dracophyllum longifolium belongs to 
the Middle Island, as also the dracophyllum rosmarinifolium, 
but the dracophyllum urvillianum and lessonianum belong to 
the North Island. Several members of this family are ex- 
tremely ornamental, and, belonging to alpine regions, might 
be introduced into England. 
Leucopogon Lanceolatus , a shrub growing ten or twelve feet 
high, has very minute leaves, and bears bunches of small 
white flowers ; it appears identical with that of Australia. 
