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PACIFIC SCIENCE, Vol. XI, October, 1957 
Fig. 5. Racemes with dehisced capsules. Above, X. mooret , Montague des Sources, whole raceme, styles twisted 
and tangled with dry threadlike tepals and stamens; below, X. callistemon , garden-grown by Dr. Oliver, portion 
of raceme only, styles stiff and erect. Photograph by S. N. Beatus. 
the range of the species. 
Except that seeds drop easily into rock 
crevices at lower levels, neither species has an 
efficient dispersal mechanism. Of the num- 
erous seeds in each capsule many fail to 
mature, some are shaken out, and some es- 
cape only when the capsule finally disinte- 
grates. 
X. mooret is known only from New Cale- 
donia. X. callistemon has been found on two 
of the many island groups off the North 
Auckland coast, but not on islands between 
these two. The same sort of "spotty” dis- 
tribution is shown by Meryta sinclairii (also 
