OLEA MONTANA, Hook. f. 
THE NARROW-LEAVED MAIRE. 
OrRDER—JASMINE. 
(Plates XXIX. and XXX.) 
Tuis species appears to have escaped the notice of the older botanists, and was 
first observed at the Bay of Islands by Allan Cunningham in 1826. Although it 
bears the specific name ‘‘montana’’ it shows a decided preference for low-land 
situations, and, so far as | am aware, does not ascend above 2,50o0ft., and must 
be regarded as rare at elevations exceeding 2,oooft. Its favourite habitat 
appears to be deep river-valleys, such as the Ruamahunga and others in the 
Wairarapa and adjacent districts, where it attains larger dimensions and occurs 
more plentifully than in any other locality known to me. North of the Waite- 
mata it is frequently solitary, only a single specimen being found in a large area, 
as, for instance, at Great Omaha, where a female plant has long been known on 
a rocky point but little above sea-level, rarely producing one or two fruits. A 
solitary tree is known also in the Titirangi Ranges. At Whangaroa (North), 
Whangape, and in the Hokianga forests occasional specimens are met with, 
but it can scarcely be considered plentiful outside the Wellington District. 
Olea montana forms a round-headed evergreen tree, 2oft. to 5o0ft. high or 
more, with a profusion of slender twiggy branchlets and bright-green leaves. 
The trunk is from rft. to 2ft.in diameter, and is clothed with brown or brownish- 
grey bark. In the young state the leaves are narrow- linear, sometimes less 
than $in. in breadth, and differing from those of the mature state only in their 
greater length, 3in. to 4in. In the mature state the branchlets are very slender; 
the leaves vary from rin. to 2in. in length, rarely exceeding Jin. in width; they 
are usually acute at the apex, and the nerves are very obscure. The male and 
female flowers are produced on different trees; they are destitute of petals, and 
from their green or light-brown hue do not attract the attention of casual 
observers: they are produced in slender axillary racemes, each bearing from six 
to ten flowers. The racemes of female flowers are longer and more slender than 
those of the male. Each flower is carried on a slender pedicel, and has a 
minute calyx at the base. in the male there are two stamens (which are 
destitute of filaments) and an abortive ovary. The female has a two-celled 
ovary with two pendulous ovules in each cell, and, not unfrequently, abortive 
stamens at the base of the ovary. During the ripening of the fruit one cell 
becomes obliterated, and three of the ovules absorbed, so that the fruit is one- 
seeded, forming a bright-red drupe. Traces of the obliterated cell may some- 
times be found after the fruit is fully ripe. 
The extremities of the branchlets are often clothed with a fine coat of downy 
pubescence, and the bark is of a reddish brown. 
A solitary specimen at Karori is fully 6oft. high, with a trunk 4oft. in the 
clear: its circumference at the base is oft. 1in., tapering to 7ft. 4in. at 6ft. from 
the ground, but above that holding its girth well up towards the crown. I have 
