ACKAMA ROSAEFOLIA, A. Cunningham. 
THE MAKAMAKA, ) 
OrpDER—SAXIFRAGE. 
(Plate LXIII.) 
~ Tur makamaka is one of the fine plants first discovered by Allan Cunningham. 
Being confined to a small district in the most northern portion of the colony it 1s 
but little known. 
It forms a handsome shrub or tree from 2oft. to 50ft. in height, with a trunk 
sometimes 2ft. in diameter. The foliage bears some resemblance to that of the 
rowan or mountain-ash (Pyrus aucuparia, Geert.) of Europe, but is more graceful 
and of a lighter green. 
The branchlets are clothed with stiff brown hairs, which render them slightly 
rough to the touch. The leaves are opposite, from 3in. to Ioin. long, and con- 
sist of from three to ten pairs of leaflets with one terminal leaflet. The leaflets 
are of oblong shape, with the margins sharply toothed. The rhachis of the 
leaves and the mid-ribs of the leaflets are often hairy. 
The male and female flowers are produced on separate trees, or rarely on 
the same tree; or male, female, and perfect flowers may be found on the same 
tree: they are arranged in panicles, which spring from the axils of the leaves or 
the tips of the branches. The branches of the panicle are very slender, clothed 
with short hairs, and often form a right angle with the axis: the flowers are 
invariably sessile, ~yin. in diameter. In the male flowers the calyx is cup- 
shaped, the segments exceeding the petals, which are usually five in number, 
rarely eight ; stamens, ten, erect, in two sets, alternate stamens being slightly 
longer than those on each side. In the female flower the calyx is similar, but 
the lobes are rather shorter and more recurved; the ovary is conical, two-celled, 
clothed with long hairs, and often surrounded by abortive stamens. The 
fruit is a very small capsule, splitting down the middle into two parts, each of 
which splits along its inner face. Seeds minute, hairy. 
Ackama is closely allied to Weimmannia, but differs in the arrangement of the 
calyx-lobes, which do not overlap each other in the bud, in the flowers being 
arranged in panicles, and in the shape of the fruit. The foliage of Ackama rose- 
folia approaches very closely to that of some states of the towhai (Weinmannia 
silvicola), but may be easily distinguished by the leaflets diminishing in size 
towards the base of the leaf, which is therefore broadest just below the apey : in 
the towhai they are equal along the entire length of the leaf. The flowers of the 
latter are arranged in erect racemes. 
PROPERTIES AND USEs. 
Unfortunately nothing is known as to its value, as it is only found in a 
small district where kauri and other high-class timbers are abundant. The bark 
has been utilised for tanning purposes, and is probably of similar value to that 
of its close ally the tawhero. 
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