IXHERBA BREXIOIDES, A. Cunningham. 
‘THE TAWARI. 
ORDER—SAXIFRAGE.. 
(Plate XLVIII.) 
IXERBA BREXIOIDES is one of the most striking and beautiful plants in the colony, 
remarkable alike for the beauty of its flowers and the elegance of its foliage: 
like Carfodetus serratus, to which it is nearly related, it is the only species of 
the genus; but unlike that plant it is confined to a very restricted area, in which, 
moreover, it is often rare and local. 
It forms a shrub or small tree, attaining the extreme height of from 5oft. to 
7oft., with a trunk nearly 2ft. in diameter; but most frequently it is reduced to 
a large shrub, with ascending branches, The leaves are destitute of stipules, 
and carried on short leaf-stalks; they may be opposite, alternate, or whorled ; 
they are coriaceous in texture, but not rigid, from 4in. to 6in. long, and fin. 
broad; narrow-lanceolate in shape, with serrated margins, which are sparingly 
elandular. | 
‘The flowers are developed in terminal panicles, forming a dense mass, 2in. 
to 4in. in diameter. Each flower is from lin. to 14in, in diameter, with silky 
calyx-teeth, spreading white petals, and five stamens, with singular anthers, 
deeply two-lobed at the base, and forming an acute point at the apex. The 
ovary is conical, five-celled, narrowed into a long awl-shaped style with acute 
stigmas. The fruit forms a tough leathery five-celled capsule, with the conical 
style projecting from the centre: the style 1s long, twisted, sharp-pointed, and 
has five longitudinal furrows. When fully ripe the fruit opens at the side and top 
by five valves, and the style splits along the furrows: when completely separated 
each valve carries two projecting awns formed by portions of the style: the 
black or clouded seeds project above the open valves before they are completely 
separated. The flowers are produced from November to January. 
It attains its largest dimensions at elevations above 1,5ooft. 
PROPERTIES AND USEs. 
The wood of Ixerba is white, with a pale-brown or reddish heart. It is even, 
dense, and heavy, but nothing is known as to its durability, although it has been 
used for mine-props in some of the highest mines on the Thames Goldfield. 
DISTRIBUTION OF THE GENUS. 
Ixerba is a monotypic genus, entirely restricted to New Zealand. It extends 
from Whangaroa (North) to the northern portion of Hawke’s Bay, but is very 
local. I have collected it at Whangaroa, the Bay of Islands, Whangarei, 
Whangape, Hokianga, Great and Little Barrier Islands, and the highest portions 
of the Cape Colville Peninsula and Thames Goldfield. It has been collected by 
Mr. A. Hamilton in the northern part of Hawke’s Bay, and is said to have been 
