Page:Manual of the New Zealand Flora.djvu/92

1-celled; valves 2–4, hard and woody, bearing the placentas along the centre. Seeds immersed in a viscid fluid.

A genus of between 60 and 70 species, found in Africa, subtropical Asia, Australia, the Pacific islands, and New Zealand. All the New Zealand species are endemic, and most of them are confined to the North Island. The flowers, are frequently polygamous or even unisexual.

A. Flowers axillary and solitary, rarely fascicled, sometimes terminal, but in that case axillary flowers are always present as well.
Leaves 1–2 in., obtuse or acute, thin, margins waved. Flowers usually solitary. Capsules ½ in. diam., valves thin	1. P. tenuifolium.
Leaves 2–3 in., acute, coriaceous, margins flat. Flowers usually solitary. Capsule ½ in. diam., valves thick and woody	2. P. Colensoi.
Flowers in axillary and terminal fascicles, otherwise as in P. Colensoi	2a. P. Colensoi, var. fasciculatum.
Leaves 2–5 in., oblong-lanceolate, submembranous. Peduncles long, ⅔ in., 1–2-flowered. Capsules less than ½ in. diam.	3. P. Buchanani.
Leaves 1½–2 in., oblong-obovate. Flowers axillary and terminal, solitary or fascicled. Capsules mostly terminal, large, ¾ in. diam.	4. P. intermedium.
Leaves large, 3–5 in., broadly oblong, usually covered with white floccose tomentum when young. Flowers axillary and terminal, solitary or fascicled. Capsules ⅔ in. diam.	5. P. Huttonianum
Leaves small, ⅓ in., obcordate. Flowers axillary, solitary or geminate	6. P. obcordatum.
B. Flowers strictly terminal, in umbels or fascicles, rarely solitary.
Small rigid shrub. Leaves small, ¼–½ in., linear-obovate, entire or lobed. Flowers solitary. Capsules small, ¼ in.	7. P. rigidum.
Leaves linear or linear-oblong, entire lobed or pinnatifid. Umbels 4–8-flowered. Capsules ⅓ in., globose, 2-valved	8. P. patulum.
Leaves linear- or elliptic-lanceolate, 1–2 in., often lobed or pinnatifid on young trees, clothed with ferruginous pubescence. Capsules ½ in., globose, 2-valved	9. P. virgatum.
Leaves elliptic-oblong or elliptic-obovate, 2–4 in., clothed with ferruginous tomentum. Capsule broadly ovoid, ⅔ in., 2-valved	10. P. ellipticum.
Leaves oblong or oblong-obovate, 2–5 in., white beneath, margins flat. Capsule ⅔ in., 3-valved	11. P. Ralphii.
Leaves linear-obovate, 2–3 in., white or buff below, thick, margins recurved. Capsule tomentose, ¾–1¼ in., 3-valved	12. P. crassifolium.
Leaves elliptic-obovate, 2–3 in., glabrous when mature, margins flat. Capsule ¾–1 in., glabrous, 3–4-valved	13. P. Fairchildii.
Leaves obovate or lanceolate-oblong, glabrous. Umbels many-flowered. Capsules small, ½ in. diam., tetragonous or 4-lobed, 2-valved	14. P. umbellatum.
Leaves linear-obovate, 2–4 in., glabrous. Flowers yellow. Capsules large, elliptic-oblong, 1½ in. long, 2-valved	15. P. Kirkii.
Usually epiphytical. Leaves whorled, elliptic-lanceolate, 1½–2½ in. Capsules ½ in. diam.	16. P. cornifolium.
Small undershrub, 1–4 ft. Leaves linear or linear-oblong, ½–1½ in. Sepals and petals narrow-linear. Capsule ⅓ in. diam., beaked	17. P. pimeleoides.