12. P. crassifolium, A. Cunn. Precur. n. 612.—A shrub or small tree 15–30 ft. high; branches erect, fastigiate; bark dark-brown; branchlets, leaves below, petioles, and inflorescence densely clothed with white or buff appressed tomentum. Leaves 2–3 in. long, oblong-obovate or linear-obovate, gradually narrowed into a short stout petiole, obtuse, quite entire, very coriaceous, dark-green and shining above, clothed with white or buff tomentum beneath; margins recurved. Flowers unisexual, in terminal umbels; males 5–10-flowered; females 1–5-flowered; peduncles ¾–1½ in. long, drooping. Sepals oblong-lanceolate, tomentose. Petals twice as long as the sepals, revolute at the tips. Fruiting peduncle stout, decurved. Capsules large, ¾–1¼ in. long, subglobose, tomentose, 3- rarely 4-valved; valves very thick and woody.—Putterlich, Syn. Pittosp. 12; Raoul, Choix de Plantes, 48; Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 23; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 20; Bot. Mag. t. 5978; Kirk, Forest Fl. t. 14; Students' Fl. 51.
Var. strictum, Kirk, Trans. N.Z. Inst. iv. 266.—Fruiting peduncles strict, erect. Capsules smaller.
Kermadec Islands: Northern shore of Sunday Island, T. F. C. North Island: Abundant on the coast, from the North Cape to Poverty Bay. Var. strictum: Little Barrier Island, Kirk! East Cape, Bishop Williams. Karo. September–October.
A well-known plant, readily distinguished by the strict habit, narrow-obovate coriaceous tomentose leaves, and large capsules. The flowers are usually dark-purple; but Mr. A. Osborne has sent me specimens of a yellow-flowered variety collected at Tryphena Harbour, Great Barrier Island.
13. P. Fairchildii, Cheesem. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xx. (1888) 147.—A compact round-topped shrub 8–15 ft. high; branches slender, spreading; bark brown; branchlets leaves and peduncles clothed with white silky hairs when young, glabrous when mature. Leaves often crowded, spreading, 2–3 in. long, obovate or elliptic-obovate or elliptic-oblong, obtuse or acute, gradually narrowed into short stout petioles, coriaceous, margins flat. Flowers terminal, solitary or in 2–4-flowered umbels. Sepals linear-oblong, acute, tomentose. Petals more than twice as long as the sepals, recurved at the tips. Fruiting peduncles slender, decurved. Capsules large, depressed, broader than long, ¾–1 in. diam., glabrous even when half-grown, 3–4-valved; valves hard and woody, often lobed.—Kirk, Students' Fl. 51.
North Island: Three Kings Islands, T. F. C. August–September.
Differs from P. crassifolium in the broader flat leaves and smaller glabrous depressed capsule. It approaches P. umbellatum in the foliage, but is readily distinguished by the silky tomentose branchlets, fewer flowers, and much larger capsules.
14. P. umbellatum, Banks and Sol. ex Gærtn. Fruct. i. 286, t. 59.—A small branching tree 12–25 ft. high, perfectly glabrous except the young shoots, which are thinly clothed with silky
