292, CORIARIA RUSCIFOLIA. 
A pleasant wine is often made by settlers from the juicy petals, and after 
standing some time, resembles a light claret. The Maoris formerly made a 
similar extract, which was thickened with certain sea-weeds. 
DISTRIBUTION OF THE GENUS. ; 
Coriaria is a small genus comprising about five species, of which one is 
found on the shores of the Mediterranean, &c., the others in the Himala: yas, 
Japan, and on the western coast of South America: three species are found in 
New Zealand. The genus is not represented in Australia. 
DISTRIBUTION OF THE SPECIES. 
Coriaria ruscifolia occurs throughout the colony, from the I<ermadec Islands 
to Stewart Island; it is most plentiful in lowland situations, especially by the 
sides of streams and on the margins of woods, open places in forests, &c. 
It is plentiful in Chili. 
DESCRIPTION. 
Coriaria ruscifolia, Linné. 
C. sarmentosa, Forster. Hook., ‘‘ Botanical Magazine,” t. 2,470. 
A shrub or small tree, 5ft. to 25ft. high. Branches tetragonous, often very 
long. Leaves sessile or nearly so, oblong or obovate, acuminate, acute or 
rarely obtuse, with three or five primary nerves. Racemes axillary, sin. to T2in. 
long or more, many-flowered, pendulous, pubescent; pedicels slender, qin. to 
4in. long, bracteolate. Flowers, gin. in diameter, green ; sepals, five, exceeding 
the petals; petals, five. Stamens, ten, elongating after fertilisation ; carpels, 
five, inserted on a fleshy receptacle; styles long, flexuous, proterogynous. Fi ruit 
spherical, consisting of five crustaceous achenes, invested by five juicy petals. 
Endosperm scanty. 
EXPLANATION OF PLATE CXXXIX. 
Coriavia ruscifolia, Linné. Flowering specimen, natural size. I. Flower 
before fertilisation. 2. The same after fertilisation. 3. A fruit. 4 and 5. Seeds. 
All magnified. 7 
