Page:Manual of the New Zealand Flora.djvu/201

Too well known to need comment here. The wood is dark-red, hard and durable, and is applied to a variety of purposes, but can seldom be obtained of large size. An infusion of the leaves has been used in the place of tea.

2. L. ericoides, A. Rich. Fl. Nouv. Zel. 338.—A shrub or tree 20–60 ft. high, with a trunk 1–3 ft. diam.; bark loose, papery; branchlets slender, glabrous or the younger sparingly silky. Leaves fascicled or alternate, 1/6–1/2 in. long, very narrow-linear or linear-lanceolate, sometimes narrow linear-spathulate, acute but not pungent, concave, veinless, dotted, glabrous or slightly silky; margins often ciliate when young. Flowers 1/8–1/4 in. diam., axillary, solitary or fascicled, usually produced in great profusion; pedicels short, glabrous or silky. Calyx-tube turbinate; lobes ovate, acute, persistent. Petals orbicular, shortly clawed. Capsule small, turbinate, wholly included within the calyx-tube.—A. Cunn. Precur. n. 554; Raoul, Choix, 49; Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 70; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 70; Kirk, Forest Fl. t. 69; Students Fl. 158.

Var. lineatum, Kirk, l.c.—Smaller and more slender, 2–12 ft. high, usually more silky. Leaves narrower, 1/30–1/20 broad. Flowers smaller, 1/8 in. diam.

North and South Islands: Abundant from the North Cape to the Bluff, ascending to 3000 ft. Var. lineatum, from the North Cape to the Auckland Isthmus. Kanuka; Maru. November–January.

Easily distinguished from the preceding by its greater size, narrower leaves, smaller flowers, and much smaller capsules, which are entirely included in the calyx-tube. Wood durable; much used for piles, house-blocks, posts and rails, &c.

3. L. Sinclairii, T. Kirk, Students' Fl. 158.—A small prostrate or suberect shrub 1–5 ft. high; branches spreading; young shoots, leaves, pedicels, and calyces hoary with appressed silky hairs. Leaves ¼–½ in. long, linear-lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, acute, flat or concave. Flowers larger than in L. ericoides, ¼ in. diam., on longer pedicels, often crowded towards the ends of the branchlets, forming rounded beads. Calyx-tube narrow-turbinate; lobes oblong or ovate, acute or obtuse, persistent. Petals obovate, clawed. Capsule narrow-turbinate, more deeply sunk within the calyx-tube than in L. ericoides.

North Island: Three Kings Islands, T. F. C.; Great Barrier Island, Hutton and Kirk! Sea-level to 1800 ft. November–January.

This is very close to L. ericoides. Its distinguishing characters are the smaller size, broader and flatter silky-hoary leaves, larger flowers, and more deeply sunk capsules.

2. METROSIDEROS, Banks.

Erect or climbing trees or shrubs. Leaves opposite, sometimes distichous, coriaceous. Flowers often handsome, white or red or crimson, usually disposed in terminal cymes or racemes. Calyx-tube adnate to the base of the ovary, campanulate, turbinate or urceolate; lobes 5, imbricate. Petals 5, spreading. Stamens very numerous, much longer than the petals; filaments filiform; anthers