A. Cunn. Precur. n. 578; Raoul, Choix, 50; Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 46. P. amœna, Col. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xvii. (1886) 258.
North Island: North Cape to Otaki and Gape Palliser, plentiful in open country, ascending to over 2000 ft. Tauhinu. November-Decenaber. Also found in Victoria and Tasmania.
2. DISCARIA, Hook.
Much-branched rigid shrubs or small trees, with opposite often spinous branchlets. Leaves opposite or fascicled, sometimes wanting. Flowers axillary. Calyx membranous, free or adnate to the ovary at the base; limb campanulate, 4–5-lobed. Petals 4–5, hooded, often wanting. Stamens 4–5; filaments short. Disc adnate to the base of the calyx-tube, annular. Ovary more or less sunk in the disc, 3-lobed, 3-celled; style slender; stigma 3-lobed. Drupe (or capsule) dry, coriaceous, 3-lobed, endocarp separating into 3 2-valved crustaceous cocci. Seeds with a coriaceous testa.
Species about 16, mostly natives of extratropical and alpine South America, with 1 species in Australia and another in New Zealand.
1. D. Toumatou, Raoul, Choix de Plantes, 29, t. 29.—A much-branched thorny bush or small tree 2–15 ft. high or even more, glabrous or slightly puberulous. Branches divaricating, flexuous; young ones green, terete; branchlets reduced to opposite distichous or decussate rigid spines 1½–2 in. long. Leaves often wanting, fascicled below the axils of the spines or opposite on short shoots, ½–¾ in. long, linear-obovate or oblong-obovate, obtuse. Flowers small, 16 in. diam., greenish-white, fascicled with the leaves below the axils of the spines; pedicels short, puberulous. Calyx-lobes 4–5, reflexed. Petals wanting. Capsule 15 in. diam., globose, deeply 3-lobed.—Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Fl. 44; Kirk, Forest Fl. t. 136; Students' Fl. 93. D. australis, Hook., var. apetala, Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 47. Notophœna Toumatou, Miers in Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. Ser. iii. v. (1860) 371.
North and South Islands: Waikato River to the Bluff, common. Ascends to 3500 ft. Tumatukuru. November-January.
Can only be distinguished from the Australian and Tasmanian D. australis by the absence of petals. It attains a large size in the cool mountain-valleys of the South Island, but near the coast is usually low and scrubby.
Order XIX. SAPINDACEÆ.
Trees, shrubs, or woody climbers, rarely herbs. Leaves alternate or more rarely opposite, often compound, exstipulate, seldom stipulate. Flowers regular or irregular, generally unisexual or polygamous; inflorescence very various. Calyx 3–5-lobed or of as many free sepals, divisions often unequal in size, imbricate or valvate. Petals 3–5 or wanting, free, equal or unequal, often bearded or glandular at the base within, imbricate. Disc very various,
