again as the calyx. Style short, stout; stigma broad, discoid, 3–5-lobed. Berry globose, ¼ in. diam.; seeds 4–6.—Raoul, Choix de Plantes, 48; Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 18; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 17; Kirk, Students' Fl. 42.
North Island: Not uncommon in hilly forests from Kaitaia southwards to the Waikato River. South Island: Waikari Creek, near Dunedin, G. M. Thomson! Petrie! Sea-level to 2000 ft. September–October.
Easily distinguished from M. ramiflorus by the larger, more coriaceous, obovate leaves, and larger flowers on decurved pedicels, with the bracts placed just below the flowers. The Otago specimens have smaller leaves, but are not otherwise different.
3. M. lanceolatus, Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 18, t. 8.—A slender glabrous shrub 6–15 ft. high, with brownish bark; branches succulent, brittle. Leaves 3–6in. long, lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, acuminate, finely and sharply serrate, membranous; petioles short. Flowers small, in 2–5-flowered fascicles; pedicels short, slender, decurved, with 2 bracts above the middle. Calyx-lobes oblong, obtuse or subacute. Petals erect, recurved at the tip. Connective of the anthers produced into a long subulate point. Style long; stigmas 3, minute. Berry globose, ¼ in. diam., blue-black when fully ripe; seeds 6–12, angled, minutely tubercled.—Handb. N.Z. Fl. 17; Kirk, Students' Fl. 43.
North and South Islands, Stewart Island: Not uncommon in forests south of Whangarei. Ascends to 3000 ft. on Te Aroha Mountain. October–November.
This can be recognised by the narrow leaves, subulate appendage to the anthers, long 3-fid style, and minutely tuberculate seeds. The anthers often cohere at the back, as in Hymenanthera, but in habit and other respects the species agrees better with Melicytus.
4. M. micranthus, Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 18.—A shrub or small tree 5–15 ft. in height, very variable in habit, sometimes a much-branched bush with tortuous and interlaced rigid branches, at other times a small tree with a compact head and slender trunk 2–5 in. diam.; branchlets pubescent at the tips. Leaves alternate or fascicled on short lateral branchlets, coriaceous, small, 15–1 in. long, oblong-obovate or obovate or orbicular-obovate, obtuse, sinuate or toothed, rarely lobed; petioles short, puberulous. Flowers minute, axillary, solitary or 2–3 together; pedicels longer or shorter than the petioles, pubescent. Male flowers: Calyx-lobes short, rounded, often ciliate. Petals twice as long as the calyx, broadly oblong, obtuse. Anthers sessile, very broad, rounded, obtuse, connective flat. Females: Calyx and petals of the males. Abortive anthers present. Ovary ovoid; style short, thick; stigma large, discoid, with 3–5 fleshy lobes. Berry oval or subglobose, 18–14 in. diam., purple or purple-black. Seeds 1–4, smooth or angled.—Handb. N.Z. Fl. 17; Kirk, Students' Fl. 43. Elæodendron micranthum, Hook. f. in Lond. Journ. Bot. iii. 228, t. 8.
