North Island: Abundant in forests as far south as the East Cape and Taupo, ascending to 3000 ft. Tawhero. December–April.
An exceedingly variable plant. The bark is largely used for tanning.
2. W. racemosa, Linn. f. Suppl. 227.—A taller tree than W. sylvicola, frequently from 50–80 ft. high or more, with a trunk 1–4 ft. diam.; glabrous when mature, except the raceme, which is pubescent. Leaves of young plants pinnately 3–5-foliolate, thin and membranous, often pubescent; of mature plants 1-foliolate, 1–4 in. long, oblong-lanceolate or oblong-ovate to orbicular-ovate, obtuse or subacute, coarsely and obtusely serrate, very coriaceous, quite glabrous. Racemes 1–4 in. long, axillary and terminal, sometimes branched; rachis pubescent; pedicels stout. Flowers numerous, very similar to those of W. sylvicola but rather larger. Ovary pubescent. Capsule 15 in. long, 2–3-valved. Seeds hairy.—Forst. Prodr. n. 173; A. Rich. Fl. Nouv. Zel. 321; Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 80; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 61; Kirk, Forest Fl. t. 73; Students' Fl. 140. Leiospermum racemosum, Don. in Edinb. N. Phil. Journ. 1830, 91; A. Cunn. Precur. n. 519.
North and South Islands, Stewart Island: Plentiful in forests from the Thames Goldfields and middle Waikato southwards. Sea-level to 3000 ft. Towai; Kamahi. December–January.
Very closely allied to W. sylvicola, but can generally be separated by the larger 1-foliolate leaves of the mature stage.
Order XXV. CRASSULACEÆ.
Succulent or fleshy herbs or undershrubs. Leaves opposite or alternate, generally simple; stipules wanting. Flowers regular, hermaphrodite or rarely unisexual. Calyx persistent, free, usually 3–5-fid or -partite. Petals as many as the sepals, free or more or less cohering into a lobed corolla, inserted at the base of the calyx. Stamens as many or twice as many as the petals, inserted with the petals and sometimes adnate to them. Ovary superior, of as many carpels as petals; carpels free or connate below, 1-celled, usually with a small gland or scale at the base of each; styles simple; ovules usually numerous, attached to the ventral suture (few in Tillæa). Fruit of several 1-celled follicles, dehiscing along the ventral suture. Seeds few or many, minute, albuminous; embryo terete, cotyledons short.
A rather large order, spread over the whole world except Polynesia. Particularly abundant in South Africa, where nearly half the species are found; also plentiful in the rocky districts of Europe and central Asia; rare in Australia and South America. Genera about 15; species estimated at 400. All the species are inert, and are of little importance from an economic point of view. The single New Zealand genus is almost cosmopolitan.
TILLÆA, Linn.
Small and slender somewhat succulent glabrous herbs. Leaves opposite, entire. Flowers minute, axillary, solitary or fascicled,
