SIDEROXYLON COSTATUM, F. Mueller. 
(SAPOTA COSTATA, A. De Candolle.) 
THE TAWAAPOU. 
OrbpER—SAPOTES£., 
(Plate CXXXIII.) 
Tue tawaapou, or pou as it is termed by the Maoris of the Great Barrier Island, 
is a handsome evergreen tree, varying from 2oft. to 6oft. in height, with a trunk 
1ft. to 3ft. or, very rarely, 5ft. in diameter. It attains its largest dimensions in 
littoral situations on the Great and Little Barrier Islands and on Kawau Island, 
at the entrance to the Hauraki Gulf: it has a very restricted distribution. The 
branches and leaf-stalks contain a milky juice, and are clothed with minute hairs. 
The leaves are alternate, from 2in. to 3in. long, including the leaf-stalks, and 
3in, to 2in. broad, quite smooth and entire, broadest above the middle, and with 
numerous parallel veins diverging from the mid-rib. The flowers are solitary 
or, rarely, two together in the axils of the leaves, and are borne on rather stout 
flower-stalks, din. to }in. long; flowers very small, Jin. to fin. in diameter: the 
calyx is deeply divided into four lobes, which are fringed with hairs ; the corolla 
is white, slightly longer than the calyx, and divided into four lobes ; four very 
short stamens are inserted at the throat of the corolla. ‘The ovary is clothed 
with long silky hairs, and is four-celled, with a short straight style. The fruit is 
handsome, about tin. long, and resembles a small plum, but usually contains. 
‘three hard crescent-shaped polished bony seeds nearly as long as the fruit, or, 
rarely, only one or two seeds are developed when the fruit is narrowed at the 
base: the inner side of the fruit is rough, with a small aperture at its apex. 
Some flowers are produced with imperfect stamens, others with an abortive pistil, 
but in the New Zealand plant most of the flowers are perfect. 
The Norfolk Island plant, which is usually identified with this, has five 
sepals, five petals, and five stamens. 
PROPERTIES AND USEs. 
The wood is white, with a fine close wavy grain; it 1s tough and elastic, 
but does not appear to be durable. It is easily worked and takes a high finish, 
but, so far as is known, no attempt has been made to utilise it, although it would 
be useful to the cabinetmaker and ornamental turner. 
The hard seeds were formerly used as necklaces by the Native chiefs, and 
the fruits form a favourite food of the wood-pigcon. 
DISTRIBUTION OF THE GENUS. 
Sideroxylon comprises about sixty species, chiefly natives of tropical regions : 
a few species are found in southern Africa, temperate Austraha, one in New 
Zealand, and one in Norfolk Island. 
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