PITTOSPORUM HEUGENIOIDES, A. Cunningham. 
| THE TARATA. 
OrpER—PITTOSPORE. 
(Plate XLIX.) 
Tue tarata is the largest of the New Zealand species of Pittosporum, and, 
although most commonly known by its proper Native name, is also called by the 
settlers ‘‘ white mapau,’’ ‘‘ turpentine,’’ and ‘‘ maple.”’ 
It forms a small evergreen tree, 2oft. to 4oft. high, with a trunk rft. to 2ft. 
in diameter, clothed with white bark, which is resinous. Its handsome light-ereen 
foliage and fragrant flowers, which are produced in great profusion, render it a 
general favourite. 
Large specimens are somewhat round-headed, the branches and branchlets, 
although slender, being rather stiff. The leaves are alternate, quite entire, and 
vary in shape, some being elliptical, others broadly ovate; the broader forms 
especially are narrowed into the slender leaf-stalk: they are from 2in. to gin. in 
length, and from #in. to fully r4in.in breadth, and in many cases crisped or 
waved at the margins. The flowers are arranged in much-branched panicles at 
the tips of the branchlets, and are of a yellow colour: the branches of the 
panicle are about tin, in length, and the very slender pedicels about din. 
The sepals are five in number, small; the petals are yellow, linear, and 
spreading or recurved; stamens, five; ovary, two-celled. Fruit, a capsule ; 
seeds few. 
In this species the flowers are in many specimens practically unisexual : 
although both stamens and pistil are invariably present, one or other is abor- 
tive. The perfect stamens have longer and more slender filaments, and produce 
abundance of pollen: the imperfect stamens are carried on shorter, less slender 
filaments, and produce but little pollen. The pistil exhibits but little variation. 
Flowers with perfect and imperfect stamens may be produced on different trees, 
or both forms may be found on the same tree associated with perfect flowers: 
in the former case the trees are practically dicecious. Other New Zealand 
species of Pittosporum exhibit the same phenomenon. 
The flowers are produced in October and November, and, as the fruit 
requires nearly a year to arrive at maturity, both fruit and flowers are often 
found on the tree at the same time. 
PROPERTIES AND UsEs. 
The wood of Pittosforum eugenioides is white, tough, elastic, and of con- 
siderable strength, but soon perishes when exposed. It is frequently used by 
the wood-turner, and might be employed for the handles of carpenters’ tools, 
&c. It is extremely difficult of combustion, and therefore useless for firewood. 
The resinous exudation afforded by the bark was formerly used by the 
Maoris to perfume oil: the leaves and flowers are bruised and mixed with fat to 
anoint their bodies. 
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