appendage within which arises from the base of the carpel and partly surrounds the seed. Seed pendulous or horizontal.
Species 8–12, all South American except the present one, which is endemic in New Zealand.
1. G. Lyallii, J. E. Baker in Journ. Bot. xxx. (1892) 137.—A small graceful spreading tree 15–30 ft. in height; young branches, leaves, petioles, and inflorescence more or less covered with stellate pubescence. Leaves on slender petioles 1–2 in. long; blade 2–4 in., ovate, acuminate, usually deeply doubly crenate, sometimes shortly lobed and crenate, cordate and truncate at the base, membranous. Flowers abundantly produced, large, ¾–1 in. diam., white, in axillary fascicles of 3–5, rarely solitary; peduncles slender, 1–2 in., ebracteolate. Calyx broadly campanulate, 5-lobed; lobes triangular. Petals obliquely obovate, retuse towards the apex. Staminal column short, swollen at the base; filaments numerous, long, filiform. Ovary 10–15-celled; styles long, slender, filiform, free to below the middle; stigmas obliquely capitate. Fruit ½ in. diam., globose, slightly depressed, of about 12 much-flattened membranous reniform carpels. Carpels not winged, 2-valved, 1-seeded. Seed much compressed.—Kirk, Students' Fl. 72. Hoheria Lyallii, Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 31, t. 11. Plagianthus Lyallii, Asa Gray ex Hook. f. l.c. ii. 326; Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Fl. 30; Bot. Mag. t. 5935; Kirk, Forest Fl. t. 134. Sida Lyallii, F. Muell. Veg. Chath. Is. 11.
South Island: Subalpine forests from Nelson to Otago, most plentiful on the western side. Ascends to 3500 ft. Lacebark. December–January.
One of the most beautiful trees of the New Zealand flora, often forming a broad fringe to the subalpine beech forests. It is partly deciduous at high elevations, but is certainly evergreen in the river-valleys of Westland and Nelson, where it is very abundant. There are apparently two forms of flowers, one with long styles almost equalling the stamens, another with styles less than half their length.
4. HIBISCUS, Linn.
Herbs, shrubs, or trees; glabrous, tomentose, or hispid, the hairs usually stellate. Leaves very various, often more or less palmately lobed. Flowers large and showy. Bracteoles numerous, rarely few, usually narrow, free or connate at the base. Calyx 5-toothed or 5-fid, valvate. Petals 5, adnata at the base to the staminal column. Staminal column truncate or 5-toothed at the summit; filaments many, inserted on the sides of the column; anthers reniform. Ovary 5-celled; ovules 3 or more in each cell; styles 5, spreading; stigmas capitate. Capsule loculicidally 5-valved. Seeds glabrous hairy or woolly.
A large and beautiful genus, abundant in the tropical regions of both hemispheres, a few species only extending into the north or south temperate zones. Both the New Zealand species have a wide distribution outside the colony.
