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Manual of the New Zealand Flora.
1. Beilschmiedia, Nees
1. Beilschmiedia, Nees.
Trees or shrubs. Leaves alternate or opposite, penninerved. Flowers small, hermaphrodite, panicled or fascicled. Perianth-tube short; limb with 6 subequal segments. Perfect stamens 9 in 3 page 602series; the 2 outer series with introrse anthers and eglandular filaments; the third series with extrorse anthers and filaments 2-glandular at the base; an inner fourth series of 3 staminodia present. Ovary not immersed in the perianth-tube, the perianth ultimately wholly deciduous. Fruit an oblong or ovoid or globose berry.
A small genus, comprising about 20 species, scattered through tropical Asia and Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and tropical America. The two species found in New Zealand are endemic. Hooker's genus Nesodaphne, which was formed for their reception, is now merged with Beilschmiedia.
Branches stout, clothed with red-brown tomentum. Leaves obovate 1. B. Tarairi. Branches slender, glabrous or nearly so. Leaves lanceo. late 2. B. Tawa.
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B. Tarairi, Benth. and Hook. f. ex T. Kirk Forest Fl t. 43.— A tall evergreen tree 50–70 ft. high, with a straight erect trunk 1½–3 ft. diam.; bark dark-brown, smooth and even; young branches, petioles, veins of the leaves beneath, upper surface of young leaves, and branches of the inflorescence densely clothed with red-brown velvety tomentum. Leaves alternate, petiolate, 3–6 in. long, obo-vate-oblong or broadly oblong, obtuse, quite entire, coriaceous, glabrous above when mature with impressed veins, glaucous and finely pubescent beneath with prominent veins; petioles about ½ in. long. Panicles axillary, shorter than the leaves, 1½–2½ in. long; branches spreading. Flowers small, ⅙ in. diam.; pedicels short; bracts linear, obtuse, caducous. Berry 1–1½ in. long, ovoid, dark-purple.—Nesodaphne Tarairi, Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 217; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 238. Laurus Tarairi, A. Cunn. Precur. n. 351; Raoul? Choix, 42. North Island: In forests from the North Cape to the East Cape and Raglan, but local to the south of Auckland. Sea-level to 1200 ft. Tarairi. October–December. One of the handsomest trees in the colony, and one of the most distinct in general appearance. The wood is light, close-grained, and easily worked, but is unfortunately wanting in strength and durability. |
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B. Tawa, Hook. f. and Benth. ex T. Kirk Forest Fl. t. 126.— A tall forest-tree 40–80 ft. high, with a trunk 1–4 ft. in diam.; bark thin, smooth, dark brownish-black; branches slender, silky when young. Leaves alternate, petiolate, 2–4 in. long, usually lanceolate, but often broader and oblong-lanceolate or elliptic-oblong, acute, quite entire, very finely reticulate on both surfaces, often glaucous beneath; petioles ¼–½ in. long. Panicles slender, glabrous, 1½–3 in. long; branches lax, elongate. Flowers minute, hardly ⅛ in. diam. Berry rather smaller than in the preceding species, about 1 in. long, ovoid, dark-purple.—Nesodaphne Tawa, Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 217; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 239. Laurus Tawa, A. Cunn. Precur. n. 352; Raoul, Choix, 42. L. Victoriana, Col, ex Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Fl. 239. page 603North Island: Abundant in forests throughout. South Island: Nelson and Marlborough—In various localities on the shores of Cook Strait. Sea-level to 2500 ft. Tawa. November–December. A well-known tree, in many portions of the North Island constituting the largest portion of the forest. The wood is white, straight in the grain, easily worked, and is largely used for buckets, tubs, casks, &c. The plum-like fruit was formerly collected by the Maoris for food, the pulpy portion being eaten in the raw state, and the kernel after prolonged steaming. |