‘q 
460 LAURACEAE. | Beilschmiedia, 
about din. long. Panicles axillary, shorter than the leaves, 14-24 in. long ; 
branches spreading. Flowers small, hin. diam.; pedicels short; bracts 
linear, obtuse, caducous. Berry 1-l4in. long, ovoid, dark-purple.— 
Cheesem. Man. N.Z. Fl. (1906) 602 ; Ll. N.Z. Fl. i (1914) t. 68. Nesodaphne 
Tarairt Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. 1 (1858) 217; Handb. N.Z. Fl. (1864) 238. 
Laurus Tarairt A. Cunn. Precur. (1838) n. 351; Raoul Choiw (1846) 42. 
Nortu IstanD: In forests from the North Cape to the East Cape and Raglan, 
but local to the south of Auckland. Sea-level to 1200 ft. AE October— 
December. , Cc 
One of the handsomest trees in the Dominion, and one of the most distinct in general 
appearance: The wood is light, close-grained, and easily worked, but is said to be 
wanting in strength and durability. As it forms a large propertion of the forests north 
of Auckland, rans should be made respecting its real value as a timber-tree. 
2. B. Tawa | Hook. f. and Benth. ex T. Kirk Forest Fl. (1889) t. 126— 
A tall forest-tree 40-80 ft. high, with a trunk 1-4 ft. in diam.; bark thin, 
smooth, dark brownish-black ; branches slender, silky when young. Leaves 
alternate, petiolate, 2-4in. long, usually lanceolate, but often broader 
and oblong-lanceolate or elliptic-oblong, acute, quite entire, very finely 
reticulate on both surfaces, often glaucous beneath; petioles }4 in. long. 
Panicles slender, glabrous, 14-3 in. long; branches lax, elongate. Flowers 
minute, hardly $in. diam. Berry rather smaller than in the preceding 
species, about | in. long, ovoid, dark-purple-—Cheesem. Man. N.Z. Fl. (1906) 
602. Nesodaphne Tawa Hook, f. Fl. Nov, Zel. i (1853) 217; Handb. N.Z. 
Fl. (1864) 239. Laurus Tawa A, Cunn. Precur. (1838) n. 352; Raoul 
Choix (1846) 42. L. Victoriana Col. ex Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Fl. (1864) 239. 
Nortn Istanp: Abundant in forests throughout. Sourn Istanp: Nelson and 
Marlborough—In various localities on the shores of Cook Strait. Sea-level to 
2500 ft. Tawa. November—December. 
A well-known tree, in many portions of the North Island constituting the largest 
portion of the forest. The wood is white, straight in the grain, easily worked, and is 
largely used for buckets, tubs, casks, &c. The plum-like fruit was formerly collected 
by the Maoris for food, the pulpy portion being eaten in the raw state, and the kernel 
after prolonged steaming. 
Qu. Mes Meth 93794. ( igre) | 
De LITSAEA Lam. IiSo’7. PADBONM » Cony, 
Trees or shrubs. Leaves alternate or rarely opposite, penninerved or 
triplinerved ; leaf-buds naked or scaly. Flowers dioecious, in 4-6- or 
rarely many-flowered umbels; umbels axillary or fascicled or racemose, 
each one enclosed before the expansion of the flowers within a globose 
involucre ; involucral scales 4-6, broad, concave. Perianth-tube ovoid or 
campanulate or scarcely conspicuous; limb with 4-6 segments, rarely 
more or fewer. Male flowers: Stamens usually 9-12; the filaments of. 
the inner row or all glandular at the base; anthers all introrse, 4-celled. 
Ovary rudimentary. Female flowers: Staminodia present. Ovary oblong 
or ovoid, narrowed into the style; stigma usually dilated and irregularly 
lobed. Fruit a more or less succulent berry, seated on the usually 
enlarged perianth-tube. | 
Species about 150, most abundant in tropical and eastern Asia, the Malayan and 
. Ld q . . . . . e 
Pacific islands, ana Australia, rare in Africa and America. The single species found 
in New Zealand is endemic therein. | 
