and polished, bony, elliptical, curved.—Kirk, Forest Fl. t. 133. Sapota costata, A. D.C. in D.C. Prodr. viii. 175; Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 174; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 186. Achras costata, Endl. Prodr. Fl. Ins. Norfi. 49; A. Cunn. Precur. n. 404; Raoul, Choix, 44. A. novo-zealandica, F. Muell. Fragm. ix. 72.
North Island: Islands and rocky headlands from the North Cape to the East Cape and Tolago Bay, not common. Ascends to 1500 ft. on the Little Barrier Island. Tawapou.
Also on Norfolk Island, where the flowers are said to be uniformly pentamerous, while in New Zealand they are chiefly tetramerous, especially the females. The wood is hard, white, and durable; and the bony seeds were formerly used for necklaces by the Maoris.
Order XLVII. OLEACEÆ.
Trees or shrubs, often chmbing. Leaves opposite, very rarely alternate, simple or 3-foliolate or pinnate, entire or toothed; stipules wanting. Flowers regular, hermaphrodite or unisexual, usually in axillary or terminal cymes or panicles or racemes, rarely clustered. Calyx inferior, usually small; limb 4–5-toothed or -lobed or wanting. Corolla hypogynous, gamopetalous and 4–5-partite, or of 4 free petals, sometimes wanting (always so in the New Zealand species). Stamens 2, inserted on the corolla or hypogynous; filaments usually short; anthers large, 2-celled. Ovary superior, 2-celled; style short or long; stigma entire or lobed; ovules usually 2 in each cell, seldom more, attached to the inner angle. Fruit a drupe or berry, or a 2-valved loculicidal capsule, 2-celled, or by abortion 1-celled. Seeds solitary or 2 in each cell, erect or pendulous; albumen present or absent; embryo straight, radicle inferior or superior.
An order of about 20 genera and almost 300 species, widely spread through most temperate and tropical regions. From an economical point of view it is chiefly important from including the well-known olive, which yields the most valuable of vegetable oils. The various kinds of jasmines and the lilac are common garden-plants belonging to the order. The New Zealand genus is mainly found in the north temperate zone, but also occurs in South Africa, Norfolk Island, and Australia.
1. OLEA, Linn.
Trees or shrubs. Leaves opposite, entire or rarely toothed. Flowers small, hermaphrodite or unisexual, in axillary or terminal panicles. Calyx small, 4-toothed or -lobed. Corolla with a short tube and 4 induplicate-valvate lobes, wanting in the New Zealand species. Stamens 2, rarely 4, epipetalous or hypogynous; filaments short; anthers oblong. Ovary 2-celled; style short; stigma obtuse, capitate or 2-lobed; ovules 2 in each cell, pendulous or laterally attached. Fruit a drupe; endocarp bony or crustaceous. Seeds solitary or rarely 2; albumen fleshy; radicle superior.
