684 
BOTANY. 
grows older they become smooth and considerably shorter; 
it is a very ornamental tree ; the wood is close grained, heavy 
and hard. 
Of the Oxalidece . — Tutaikaka (Oxalis Urvillei cataract ce ). 
A white sorrel found near Kerikeri Water-fall, and thence 
deriving its name ; in several parts it is larger in size, 
( Propinqua , — exilis , — diver gens, — tenuicaulis , lacicola , — cilii- 
fera , — crassifolia) . The oxalis which flourishes on sand hills, 
produces the largest yellow flower, and that on the cold 
grassy plains the least. 
Gferanicaeece. — Huika ( Geranium pilosum — retorsum , pe- 
largonium clandestinum) . — Kapntawiti, kurahura , porewarewa. 
Hypericaceoe. — ( Hypericum pusillum ) . 
Fam. Meliacece. — Kohekohe. — [Hartighsea spedabilis) . This 
tree attains a considerable size; the leaves are extremely 
bitter and the infusion is taken as a tonic ; a weak decoction 
is also used by females who have lost their infants, to stop 
the secretion of milk ; its flowers come out from the stem, 
and are fragrant ; the sap-wood is perfectly white, but the 
heart of a dark red, and very similar in grain and color to 
mahogany ; it attains a height of about sixty feet. 
Fam. Sapindacece. — Topitopi , titoki , iitongi ( aledryon excel- 
sum) . A very ornamental tree, with a glossy light green leaf ; 
the fruit is also very beautiful, it bursts from its sheath like a 
bright red strawberry, with a shining black seed in the centre; 
the fruit is tart, though edible, and from the seed a fine oil is 
expressed ; in the south, the fruit is called titoki , and the 
tree topitopi ; it is considered a durable timber, and well 
adapted for ship-building. Ake , ake rautangi , ( Dodoncea spa- 
tulata) . This tree does not attain any size, but the wood is 
considered the hardest and toughest in New Zealand ; it was 
used for weapons of war. 
Fam. Bombacece. — Holier e [Hoheria populnea). A tree with a 
fine net-like fibre under the outer bark ; both the leaves, bark, 
and flowers, which are white, have a glutinous taste, like the 
mallow ; it does not attain any size, is ornamental, but only 
medicinally useful ; the leaves of the young shrub are different 
from those of the grown-up tree ; aute (ancient cloth) was 
