The Botany of the Antarctic Voyage/Part I/Myrtaceae
IX. MYRTACEÆ, Br.
1. Metrosideros (Agalmanthus) lucida; arborea, foliis oppositis petiolatis ellipticis utrinque acuminatis integerrimis glaberrimis coriaceis rigidis enerviis inferne glanduloso-punctatis (glandulis luteis) marginibus revolutis, floribus 3–5 ad apices ramulorum breviter pedunculatis umbellatis, calyce turbinato sericeo, lobis late ovatis subacutis, petalis obovato-oblongis spathulatisve calycis limbo duplo longioribus apice ciliatis, filamentis petalo subtriplo longioribus.—Menz. MSS. in Herb. Hook. A. Rich. Fl. Nov. Zeal. p. 333. A. Cunn. Prodr. Fl. Nov. Zeal. l.c. vol. iii. p. 114. M. umbellata, Cav. Ic. vol. iv. tab. 337. Smith in Rees's Cycl. vol. xxiii. DeC. Prodr. vol. iii. p. 225. Agalmanthus umbellatus, Hombr. et Jacq. Voy. au Pol. Sud, Bot. tab. 1. sine descript. Melaleuca lucida, Forst. Prodr. n. 216.
Hab. Lord Auckland's group; from the sea to an altitude of 500 feet. Abundant. (Not seen in Campbell's Island.)
Originally discovered by Sir J. Banks and Dr. Solander at Totarra nui in the North Island of New Zealand, and a very fine drawing of it, made during Captain Cook's first voyage, is preserved in the British Museum. It was again found by Forster during Cook's second voyage, in Dusky Bay, and by him first published. Mr. Menzies also gathered it at the latter locality. I am at a loss to conceive how the specimens came into the possession of Felix Neè, from whose collection Cavanilles figured and described the plant under the name of Metros. umbellata, as a native of Port Jackson. The figure given by the latter author is very characteristic, except that the peduncles are represented as too long and slender. In the plate accompanying the late French expedition of Admiral D'Urville, the sketch of the entire plant does not do justice to that which constitutes the largest tree on Lord Auckland's group, and the most abundant, skirting the whole line of sea-coast with a broad belt of evergreen flat-topped forest wood. The single trees are from 20–40 feet high, inclined, with trunks 2–3 feet in diameter, often flattened, seldom erect, covered with a pale reddish bark, which flakes off like that of the birch. From the trunks and lower branches there are often sent out large tufts of dry root-like processes, which run along the surface, and are covered with a loose thick and spongy light brown cuticle. The branches are spreading and ascending, from the inclemency of the climate and violence of the winds forming stag-headed trees, whose tops are perfectly flat, as if cut with a scythe. The ultimate branches, which bear a few leaves, are angular and covered with a loose white papery cuticle, which turns yellow in drying. The leaves are of a lurid but shining green, more yellow on the under surface, and there covered with large yellow glands. Petals when young white with red tips, in the more expanded state crimson, as are the stamens. The inflorescence in this, as in all other New Zealand species, is in umbels or corymbs. The Myrtaceæ, which in North America do not attain a higher latitude than 26°, and in Europe only one reaches the 46th degree, in the southern regions are amongst the most Antarctic plants, being most abundant in Tasmania, lat. 42–44° S.; in New Zealand, throughout the islands as far as 50½° S., and in South America accompanying other plants as far as 56° S., where that continent terminates in the South Polar Ocean.