—— 7 7 —_ “—* 
HOHERIA POPULNEA. 89 
inlaying. It was formerly split for shingles, but has fallen into disuse on 
account of its perishable nature. All the varieties afford excellent firewood. 
The bark is of great strength and toughness, so that it is often used as a sub- 
stitute for cord or rope. It is demulcent, and was made to afford a demulcent 
drink by the Maoris: in all probability it might be advantageously used in all 
cases where the bark of slippery-elm (U/imus fulva) is employed by the druggist 
for demulcent drinks, cataplasms, &c. 
The wood is well adapted for conversion into pulp for the manufacture of 
paper. 
DisTRIBUTION. 
Hoheria contains only a single species, which is absolutely restricted to New 
Zealand, and in one or other of its forms is generally distributed from Mongonui 
to Southland. It is especially frequent by the sides of streams and watercourses 
and on the margins of cool woods. 
The typical form occurs from Mongonui to the Upper Waikato, and is 
almost the only form found in that district, although the variety f, /anceolata, 
occurs sparingly at Whangarei and Omaha. 
Var. 8, /anceolata, is rare north of the Waikato, but becomes plentiful in 
Hawke’s Bay and Taranaki, continuing through the Wellington District to 
Nelson, Westland, and Canterbury. Var. y, angustifolia, finds its northern 
limit in the Hawke’s Bay District, and extends southward to Otago and South- 
Jand, where it is the only representative of the species. This plant is not found 
in Stewart Island. 
It ascends from sea-level to 1,500ft. 
DESCRIPTION. 
Hoheria populnea, A. Cunn. 
Hook., *‘ Icones Plantarum,” t. 565, 566. 
A small tree, 2oft. to 45ft. high. Young shoots, leaves, pedicels, and calyx 
more or less clothed with short hairs. Leaves alternate, glabrous in the mature 
state, varying from Iin. to 5in. in length and from Hin. to 2in. in breadth, and 
in shape from broadly ovate or lanceolate to linear-oblong; base broadly rounded 
or cuneate, acute or obtuse; margins serrate or doubly serrate, or dentate, or 
spinulose, rarely almost crenate. Flowers fascicled in the axils of the leaves, 
Tin. in diameter; pedicels jointed about the middle. Calyx inferior, cup-shaped, 
with five broad teeth, pubescent or silky; petals oblique, with a notch in the 
middle of the upper margin ; stamens numerous, pentadelphous; ovary, five- or 
six-celled ; styles, five or six; stigmas capitate. Fruit consisting of five or six 
one-seeded carpels radiating from a central axis, and crested with an oblique 
membranous wing. 
EXPLANATION OF Prates LIII., LIV., LIVa., LIVz., anp LY. 
LIM. Hoheria populnea, A. Cunn. a, vulgaris: flowering branch, natural 
size. 1. Flower-bud. 2. Flower. 3. Pistil. 4. Diagrammatic transverse sec- 
tion of flower, showing position of staminal tube. 5. Fruit. 6. Free portion of 
stamen. 
LIV. Hoheria populnea, A. Cunn. 8, lanceolata. The lower drawing repre- 
sents a form with small leaves; the upper drawing a transition form with leaves 
approaching y, angustifolia. 
LIVa. Hoheria populnea, A. Cunn. 8, lanceolata. 1. Flowering specimen, 
with doubly-serrate acuminate leaves. 2. Fruiting specimen of a similar form. 
3. A form with serrated leaves. 4. A fruit with six carpels. All natural size. 
23 
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