Elytranthe.] LORANTHACEAE. O91 
basifixed. Style equalling the corolla; stigma capitate-—Loranthus 
tetrapetalus Forst. f. Prodr. (1786) n. 156; A. Rich. Fl. Nouv. Zel, (1832) 
268; A. Cunn. Precur. (1838) n. 486; Raoul Choir (1846) 42; Hook. f ide b. 
Nov. Zel. i (1853) 99; Handb. N.Z. Fl. (1864) 107. Loranthus Fieldu 
Buch. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xvi (1884) 397; Cheesem. Man. N.Z. Fl. (1906) 
619, lL. decussatus 7. Kirk in Trans. N.Z. Inst. ii (1871) 162. L. punctatus 
Col. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xv (1883) 323.  Peraxilla tetrapetala Van Tiegh. 
Bull. Soc. Bot. Fr. xli (1894) 500. 
NortH anp SoutnH Isuanps: Not uncommon from the Little Barrier Island and 
Cape Colville to the south-west of Otago. 500-4000 ft. November—January. 
In the southern portion of the Dominion this is usually parasitic on Nothofagus, in 
the north on Quintinia. Through a curious misconception, Mr. Kirk applied the name 
of tetrapetalus to the plant now known as L. Adamsii, and described the true tetrapetalus 
as a distinct species under the name of L. decussatus. 
Colenso’s Loranthus punctatus (Peraxilla punctata Van Tiegh., Elytranthe punctata 
Engl.) is doubtless identical with this species, judging from an imperfect specimen in 
his herbarium. Van Tieghem’s Peraxilla unifiora and P. Haastii, both of which are 
accepted and referred to Hlytranthe by Engler, are said to be closely allied ; but as no 
descriptions or diagnostic characters are given I cannot express any opinion as to their 
validity. Van Tieghem also retains Kirk’s Loranthus decussatus as a distinct species ; 
placing it, under the name of Peravilla decussata, in the immediate neighbourhood of 
E. Colensoi, with which he states it agrees in having the flowers in axillary racemes. 
No doubt he has been influenced by Kirk’s original description, in which the flowers 
are described as being arranged in “ 2-4-flowered racemes.’’ But the type specimens 
in Kirk’s herbarium all have the flowers solitary in the axils of the teaves, and this is 
also the case with specimens collected by myself in the locality where it was first 
obtained by Kirk. I can entertain no doubt of its identity with EH. tetrapetalus, and 
consider that the mistake in Kirk’s diagnosis was probably due to some accidental 
mixture of specimens. As mentioned in the body of this work, the name of 
LL, tetrapetalus is applied in Kirk’s herbarium to the following species. 
3. KE. Adamsii -fngl. Pflanzenf. Nachtr. i (1897) 126.—A_ perfectly 
glabrous bush 2-4 ft. high; branchlets terete. Leaves opposite, 14-24 in. 
long, broadly oblong or oblong-obovate, obtuse, narrowed into a short 
stout petiole or almost sessile, very thick and coriaceous, veins hardly 
visible, margins slightly recurved. Peduncles very short, axillary, each 
bearing 2—4 sessile flowers; a small concave bract and 2 bracteoles at the 
base of each flower. Flowers rather large, 14-2 in. long, reddish, more 
or less tinged with yellowish-green. Calyx-limb short, with 4 minute 
triangular teeth. Corolla narrow at the base, swollen in the middle, and 
then contracted just below the limb ; lobes 4, separating about 1-way down, 
reflexed, but the corolla often splits dorsally to the base, the lobes then 
all turning one way. Anthers narrow-linear, basifixed, tips acute. Style 
equalling the corolla; stigma capitate. Fruit oblong, bright-red, 4 in. 
long.—Loranthus Adamsii Cheesem. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xiii (1881) 296; 
Man, N.Z, Fl. (1906) 620; Jil. N.Z. Fl. ii (1914) t. 176.  Trilepidea 
Adamsiu Van. Tiegh. in Bull. Soc. Bot. Fr. xli (1894) 489. 
Nort [stanp: Auckland—Tryphena Harbour (Great Barrier Island), near the 
base of Moehau Mountain, Cape Colville, W. Townson! A. J. Osborne! Thames gold- 
fields, Adams! T. F.C., W. Townson! Hunna, 7. Kirk ! ak” 
The foliage of this closely resembles that of F. Colensoi, but the flowers are very 
different. Parasitic on Coprosma, Myrsine, and Melicope. Van Tieghem mentions a 
Trileyidea Ralphiz (Bull. Soc. Bot. Fr. xlii (1895) 28) as a closely allied species, but 
he gives no distinctive characters. 
M4 [Hol] 
