ll  ——— ry = * 77 ? 
MERYTA SINCLAIRII, Scemann. 
THE PUKA. | 
OrDER—ARALIACEZ. 
(Plate CXXI.) 
Tuts noble species is one of the rarest plants in the world, being restricted to a 
few individuals growing on one or two small islands near the northern extremity 
of the colony: its leaves are larger than those of any other plant with entire 
leaves in the New Zealand flora. 
It does not occur on any part of the mainland: a tree said to have been 
brought from the Poor Knights Islands, and planted by Maoris at the head of 
Whangaruru Bay, was observed by Mr. Colenso and Dr. Sinclair, who obtained 
leaves which were forwarded to Sir Joseph Hooker, and the plant was described 
by him in the “ Flora Nove-Zelandie’’* under the name of Botryodendrum 
Sinclmru. Dr. Sinclair and, I believe, Mr. Colenso also again visited the tree, 
in the hope of procuring flowers and fruit, but without success. Mr. William 
Mair, however, was more fortunate, and, after considerable perseverance, 
obtained fruiting specimens, which he gave to Dr. Sinclair, who sent them to 
Kew, where they formed the basis for the improved but still imperfect descrip- 
tion which appeared in the ‘‘ Handbook of the New Zealand Flora,’’+ under the 
name which it now bears, Seemann having transferred it to the genus Meryta. 
In 1869 Professor Hutton and myself visited the Taranga Islands, where we had 
the good fortune to find a few trees which had long been known to the Maoris, 
when a description was published in the ‘‘ Transactions of the New Zealand 
Institute.” The plants found at that visit were confined to old. Palzozoic rocks 
on one of the small islands of the group. Mr. Robert Mair has recently dis- 
covered a few plants on another island; and Mr. T. F. Cheeseman has found a 
single plant on the largest island, which is entirely volcanic. 
The plant forms a small tree from I2ft. to 25ft. high, with stout branches ; 
it is charged with a peculiar resin in all its parts, and the bark is easily wounded, 
producing large callosities as it heals. The leaves are alternate, crowded near 
the extremities of the branches, and carried on long leaf-stalks, which vary from 
4in. to 14in. in length, the blades being from gin. to goin. long: many of the 
leaves were 30in. long including the leaf-stalk, and from 4in. to Ioin. broad, 
equally rounded at both ends, or slightly contracted below the middle, with the 
margins slightly waved and strengthened by a remarkably stout marginal nerve. 
They are of a thick texture and bright-green colour. 
The male and female flowers are developed on separate trees, and are 
arranged in panicles from 8in. to r6in. long at the extremities of the branches, 
with a few large deciduous scales at the base of each, the branches of the 
panicle being jointed to the axis. The branches of the male panicle are slender, 
and the flowers are arranged in fours, with an ovate bract at the base of each 
* Flora Nova-Zelandiz, i., p- 97. + Handbook of the N.Z. Flora, p. ro4. 
t Trans. N.Z. Inst., Vol. 11., p. ror. 
62 
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