A large genus, containing about 60 species. Most plentiful in the hotter parts of India and the Malay Archipelago, a few species only extending to Australia, the Pacific islands, and New Zealand. Both our species are endemic.
| Branchlets silky. Leaves linear-obovate, margins recurved | 1. E. dentatus. |
| Branchlets glabrous. Leaves linear-oblong or lanceolate, margins flat | 2. E. Hookerianus. |
1. E. dentatus, Vahl. Symb. Bot. iii. 66.—A round-headed tree 40–60 ft. in height; trunk slender, straight, 1–3 ft. diam.; branchlets often bare of leaves except at the tips, silky when young. Leaves erect, on short stout petioles 1⁄2–1 in. long; blade 2–4 in., linear-oblong obovate-oblong or obovate-lanceolate, narrowed below, obtuse or shortly acuminate, coriaceous, obscurely sinuate-serrate, often white with fine appressed silky hairs beneath; margins recurved. Racemes numerous, 8–12-flowered, silky, usually shorter than the leaves. Flowers drooping, ⅓–½ in. diam., white. Petals obovate-cuneate, lacerate. Stamens 10–20; filaments very short; anthers linear, with a flat recurved tip. Ovary silky, 2-celled. Drupe about ½ in. long, oblong or ovoid, purplish-grey; stone rugose, 1-celled, 1-seeded.—Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Fl. 34; T. Kirk, Forest Fl. t. 11; Students' Fl. 76. E. Hinau, A. Cunn. Precur. n. 602; Hook. Ic. Plant. t. 602; Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 32. E. Cunninghamii, Raoul, Choix de Plantes, 25. Dicera dentata et D. serrata, Forst. Char. Gen. 80. Eriostemon dentatus, Colla. Hort. Ripul. 52, t. 30.
North and South Islands: Not uncommon in lowland forests from the North Cape to Catlin's River, Otago. Altitudinal range from sea-level to 2000 ft. Hinau. October–November.
The fruit was formerly eaten by the Maoris, the pulpy part being rubbed off the stone, steeped in water, and then made into large cakes, which were baked for a day or two. They also obtained a black dye from the bark, which was used for dyeing their flax cloaks, and is still employed for that purpose by a few of the inland tribes. The wood is durable, but is little employed, although a figured variety is now coming into use for panelling and furniture.
2. E. Hookerianus, Raoul, Choix de Plantes, 26, t. 25.—A small glabrous tree 20–40 ft. high, with a trunk 1–3 ft. diam.; bark pale. Young plants with numerous tortuous and interlaced branches, which bear narrow-linear leaves ½–2 in. long, sinuate or irregularly toothed or lobed or almost pinnatifid, occasionally broadly obovate or almost orbicular. Leaves of mature plants l1⁄2–3 in. long, elliptical or linear-oblong or lanceolate, coriaceous, obtuse, sinuate-crenate or serrate; margins flat; petioles short, ¼–½ in. long. Racemes slender, spreading, shorter than the leaves. Flowers greenish-white, small, drooping. Sepals lanceolate. Petals slightly longer than the sepals, 4–5-lobed at the tip. Drupe similar to that of E. dentatus, but smaller, 1⁄3 in. long.—Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 32; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 34; T. Kirk, Forest Fl. t. 12, 13; Students' Fl. 76.
