| C. Flowers in terminal compound umbels or corymbs. | |
| Tree with white bark. Leaves elliptic, 2–4 in. Flowers yellow. Capsules small, ¼ in. | 18. P. eugenioides. |
1. P. tenuifolium, Banks and Sol. ex Gœrtn. Fruct. i. 286, t. 59, f. 7.—A small tree 15–30 ft. in height, with a slender trunk and dark almost black bark; young leaves and branchlets usually pubescent, becoming glabrous when mature. Leaves alternate, 1–2½ in. long, oblong-ovate or elliptic-obovate, obtuse acute or shortly acuminate, quite entire, membranous or slightly coriaceous, margins undulate; petiole short. Flowers axillary, solitary or rarely fascicled, ¼–½ in. long; peduncles about as long as the calyx, pubescent, straight or curved. Sepals oblong to ovate, obtuse or subacute, silky or glabrous. Petals dark-purple. Ovary silky. Capsule ½ in. diam., 3-valved, broadly obovoid or subglobose, downy when young, glabrous and minutely rugose when old; valves rather thin.—A. Cunn. Precur. n. 615; Raoul, Choix de Plantes, 48; Hook, f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 21; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 19; Kirk, Forest Fl. t. 46; Students' Fl. 47. Trichilia monophylla, A. Rich. Fl. Nouv. Zel. 306, t. 34, bis.
North and South Islands: Abundant from the North Cape to the Bluff. Altitudinal range from sea-level to 3000 ft. Kohuhu. October–November.
An abundant and variable plant, the best distinguishing characters of which are the small submembranous leaves with waved margins, axillary and usually solitary flowers, and small capsules with rather thin valves. The leaves are often pale-green, especially on young plants.
2. P. Colensoi, Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 22.—A small tree, very closely allied to the preceding, but larger and more robust, with stouter branches. Leaves 2–4 in. long, oblong-lanceolate elliptical-oblong or obovate-oblong, acute, coriaceous, margins usually flat; petiole short, stout. Flowers axillary and solitary in the typical form, rarely fascicled; peduncles short, erect or decurved, glabrous or pubescent; bracts not so caducous as in P. tenuifolium. Sepals broadly oblong, glabrous or pubescent. Capsule globose; valves thick and woody.—Handb. N.Z. Fl. 19. P. tenuifolium, var. Colensoi, Kirk, Students' Fl. 47.
North and South Islands, Stewart Island: From Rotorua and the Patetere Plateau southwards, but often local. Ascends to 3000 ft. October–November.
Very closely allied to P. tenuifolium, and connected with it by numerous intermediates. Mr. Kirk unites the two, and there is much to be said in favour of such a course. But it must be admitted that P. Colensoi, with its