MELICOPE THERNATA, Forster. 
THE WHARANGI. 
OrpER—RU TACE/Z. 
(Plates LXVI. and LXVII.) 
Tue wharangi sometimes forms a small evergreen tree, I2ft. to 2o0ft. high, with 
stiff branches, smooth in all its parts; but usually it is a large shrub, branched 
from the base. Its pale yellowish-green foliage and ornamental aspect render it 
attractive, although its flowers, from their greenish colour, are somewhat incon- 
spicuous. 
The leaves are opposite, and consist of three leaflets springing from the top 
of a common leaf-stalk: the leaflets are from 2in. to 4in. long, and from jin. to 
thin. broad, somewhat wedge-shaped below, acute above: the leaf-stalk 1s rather 
shorter than the leaflets, which are dotted with pellucid oil-glands. The flowers 
are produced in small panicles from the axils of the leaves, and are carried on 
short pedicels arranged in threes; they are usually perfect, although male and 
female flowers are often developed on the same or on separate trees, or on trees 
with perfect flowers. 
The calyx consists of four sepals, the corolla of four spreading greenish- 
white petals, both sepals and petals being dotted with pellucid glands. The 
ovary is small, silky, with a very short style, and the fruit consists of four 
wrinkled carpels united at the base only, each carpel containing a single shining 
black seed, which projects from the open suture of the seed-vessel as soon as it 
opens, and to which it is attached by a slender white process termed the 
funiculus. ‘The jet-black coat of the seed is extremely brittle, and may be easily 
rubbed off between the finger and thumb. The ripe carpel consists of two coats, ’ 
the innermost of which is white, and resembles parchment in texture. 
The wharangi exhibits a large amount of variation in the size of the leaves 
and flowers, which is chiefly caused by temperature, soil, and situation. Speci- 
mens collected in the warmer climate of the Bay of Islands and Mongonui are 
of more luxuriant growth and larger dimensions than those found near Cook 
Strait ;* so also specimens grown on light and alluvial soils are more luxuriant 
than those grown on clay; but in addition to variations due to the causes stated 
there are others which appear to be the result of hybridization: they present a 
series of forms connecting Melicope ternata with M. simplex. Asa rule they are 
characterized by small leaves composed of three leaflets; but in some specimens 
many of the leaves are simple, which is probably due to the lateral leaflets 
having fallen away in an early stage. The leaves of some forms approach M. 
fernata in size; in others they are quite as small as those of M. simplex; but all 
the forms are ciapieaeed by the peculiar habit, crowded, erect, or ascending 
branches with reddish-brown bark, and in both leaves and aertcenes make a 
closer approach to M. ternata than to M, simplex, although combining the charac- 
ter of both species in a most remarkable manner. 
A strike exception Has been: bier a on the eastern coast of the Mariborougs District, nied the leaflets 
are said to be 5in. in length. 
50 
