216 DRACOPHYLLUM LONGIFOLIUM, 
PROPERTIES AND UsEs. 
The wood is of a light-brown colour, with fine even grain and satiny lustre: 
the silver grain is very minute; its chief beauty consists in the oblique wavy 
markings and streaks, which occasionally exhibit a feathery appearance. It 
takes a high finish, and is suitable for all kinds of ornamental work. Although 
of slow growth the remarkable habit of this plant renders it of great value as 
an ornamental shrub. 
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DISTRIBUTION OF THE GENUS. 
Dracophyllum is an Australasian genus, consisting of about thirty species, of 
which fourteen are found in New Zealand, ten in Australia, and seven in New 
Caledonia. One or possibly two of the New Zealand species extend to Aus- 
tralia, 
DISTRIBUTION OF THE SPECIES. 
Dracophyllum longifolium is endemic in New Zealand, In the North Island 
it appears to be rare and local, having been observed only in one or two localities 
in the Tararua Mountains. It is plentiful in many places on the mountains of 
the South Island from Nelson to Southland; it descends to the sea-level in the 
deep sounds of the south-west portion of the Island, and is abundant on Stewart 
Island, the Snares, the Auckland Islands, and forms the chief portion of the 
ligneous vegetation on Campbell Island. 
It ranges from the sea-level to upwards of 4,000ft. 
DESCRIPTION. 
Dracophyllum longifolium, R. Brown, ‘“ Flora Antarctica,” 1, 
p. 45, tt. 31, 32. 
D. Lyallii, Hook. f., ‘‘ Flora Novee-Zelandize,” 1., p. 169. 
Epacris longifolia, Forster. 
A shrub or small tree, 20ft. to 35ft. high, with strict erect branches, usually 
naked below. Leaves often recurved in young plants, erect in mature plants, 
3in. to 1oin. long; with sheathing bases 4in. to din. long, abruptly narrowed into 
the blade, which is rigid, concave above, grooved beneath, minutely pubescent 
or ciliated at the tips and margins, or glabrous, acute. Flowers in racemes, 
r}in. to 23in. long, terminal on very short lateral branchlets: each flower 18 
developed in the axil of a broadly-ovate chaffy bract, which speedily falls, and 
the pedicel is clothed with short green bracts. Calyx deeply cleft into five acute 
segments, ciliated. Corolla tubular; segments, five, recurved, and slightly 
hooded at the tips. Stamens, five, inserted at the mouth of the corolla; fila- 
ments very short; ovary five-celled, with five scales at the base; style short, 
straight. Fruit, a five-celled capsule ; seeds numerous, attached to a pendulous | 
placenta, springing from the axis of each cell. 
EXPLANATION OF PratEe CIX. 
Dracofhyllum longifolium, R. Brown. 1 and 2, Leaves, 3. Raceme.. All 
natural size. 4. Flower. 5. Corolla, laid open. 6. Ovary, showing the scales 
atits base. 7. Fruit. 8. Transverse section of a fruit. All magnified. 
