OLEARIA FORSTERI, Hook. f 
THE AKIRAHO, 
OrDER—COMPOSIT AE. 
(Plate CXXXVII.) 
HE ch ase of this very distinct plant frequently contain a single floret 
ol y, which led Forster to take it as the type of a new genus, Shawia, and the 
cies was originally described by him as Shawia paniculata; but in the ‘‘ Flora 
yee-Zelandie ” it was placed by Sir Joseph Hooker under Eurybia on account 
ie pappus-hairs being arranged in a single row, and in the ‘* Handbook of 
New Zealand Flora” it was referred to Olearia, in which both Shawia and 
Eurybia are rightly merged. 
-Olearia Forstert is a much-branched shrub or small tree, 6ft. to 2oft. hich, 
with stiff branches and alternate yellowish-green leaves, which vary from 1in. to 
3in im length, and are usually much waved at their margins; the upper surface 
is finely reticulated, and the lower surface is white, with closely-appressed hairs. 
The flowers are produced in panicles, which are usually but not invariably 
Bee: pees the leaves ; wed spring from the axils HE the leaves, and are much 
; tie involucral cup 
it is ernie of from six s seen scales, the uppermost 
ne Reece, cre tsa at the base, and nearly smooth. The heads are from 
- to three-flowered, and most of the flowers are perfect; ray-florets are very 
>; the perfect florets have a long silky tube, with a bell-shaped mouth, cut 
into five recurved segments. The fruit is pubescent, and the pappus-hairs 
are arranged in one series. 
a In many districts this species is liable to the attacks of a dipterous insect, 
whi ich deposits its eggs in the buds and gives rise to leafy galls: in some 
districts scarcely a plant is to be found exempt from the attacks of the insect: 
sometimes the panicles are unusually large in infested plants, and the leaves 
reduced in size. 
PROPERTIES AND UsEs, 
The wood of Olearia Forsteri is of a light-brown colour, with a satiny lustre, 
ane d is sometimes prettily figured. It is suitable for many kinds of ornamental 
‘ti The plant is angily cultivated, and forms excellent shelter-hedges: it 
ars clipping freely. 
oe 
DISTRIBUTION OF THE GENUS. 
See under Olearia Traversti, p. 47, ante. 
ae . DISTRIBUTION OF THE SPECIES. 
_ Olearia Forsteri is of somewhat restricted distribution ; it attains its extreme 
northern limit at Poverty Bay, and extends southwards to Oamaru, on the east 
eo” the South Island; on the west coast it does not extend beyond the 
b undary of the Nelson iseeres It ascends from the sea-level to nearly 1,500ft., 
anc id is most Pacers in the vicinity of the sea. 
a 
