Page:Manual of the New Zealand Flora.djvu/270

Var. serratum, Kirk, Forest Fl. t. 45.—Leaves of mature plants with the margins serrated or lobulate.

North and South Islands, Stewart Island: Not uncommon in hilly forests from Hokianga southwards. Var. serratumn: Stewart Island, Kirk! Sea-level to 2500 ft. Raukawa; Koare. January–February.

The Maoris formerly mixed the fragrant leaves with fat or oil, which was then used for anointing the person.

4. P. anomalum, Hook. in Lond. Journ. Bot. ii. (1843) 422, t. 12.—A much-branched shrub 5–12 ft. high; branches spreading at right angles, younger ones usually clothed with small bristly scales. Leaves of young plants 3-foliolate; petioles long, slender, winged; leaflets jointed on to the petiole, stipellate at the base, elliptic-ovate or orbicular-ovate, sometimes lobed, toothed or crenate, usually membranous. Leaves of mature plants 1-foliolate; petiole very short, seldom more than 1/8 long; leaflet ⅓–⅔ in. long, orbicular or oblong-orbicular, rarely narrower and oblong-obovate, rounded at the tip, obscurely crenate, rather coriaceous, usually with minute linear stipellae at the base. Umbels small, simple, axillary, 2–8-flowered; peduncles very short. Flowers minute, greenish. Ovary 2-celled; styles 2, free. Fruit 1/8–1/6 in. diam., orbicular, much compressed, 2-celled, mottled.—Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 93; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 101; Kirk, Students' Fl. 218.

Var. microphyllum, Kirk, l.c.—Smaller and more slender. Leaves smaller, 1/5–1/3 in. long, obovate-lanceolate to broadly obovate, sinuate-crenate.—P. microphyllum, Col. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xvi. (1884) 328.

North and South Islands: Not uncommon in woods from Mongonui and Kaitaia southwards, ascending to 2500 ft. Wauwaupaku. December–February.

A very curious plant, with the habit of Melicytus micranthus or Melicope simplex, quite unlike a Panax. Mr. Colenso's P. microphyllum is the common form south of the Waikato, but it differs little from the type.

5. P. Sinclairii, Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Fl. 103.—A branching shrub or small tree 6–15 ft. high. Leaves 3–5-foliolate; petioles 2–3 in. long, slender, not sheathing at the base; leaflets sessile or very shortly stalked, 1–3 in. long, obovate- or oblong-lanceolate, acute or acuminate, dull-green, coriaceous, sharply serrate; veins obscure. Umbels small, unisexual, axillary or terminal, 3–10-flowered or more, on simple or branched peduncles 1–1½ in. long; pedicels short. Calyx minutely 5-toothed. Ovary 2-celled; styles 2, short, recurved. Fruit orbicular, compressed, 2-celled, 1/8–1/6 in. diam.—Kirk, Students Fl. 219.

North Island: Thames Goldfields, Adams! Te Aroha, Pirongia and Karioi Mountains, T. F. C.; Opepe, Taupo, Kirk! East Cape, Sinclair; Ruahine Mountains, Colenso; Mount Egmont, Buchanan! T. F. C. 1000–3500 ft. January–February.

Very closely allied to P. simplex, from which it is chiefly separated by the leaves being 3–5-foliolate, never 1-foliolate.