1. Persoonia, Smith.

Shrubs or small trees. Leaves entire, alternate or sometimes almost whorled. Flowers small, hermaphrodite, yellowish or white, solitary and axillary, or in axillary or terminal racemes. Perianth regular, constricted above the base or cylindrical; segments ultimately separating to the base or nearly so, upper portion revolute. Stamens affixed at or below the middle of the perianth-segments; filaments short; anthers usually all perfect, oblong or linear. Hypogynous scales 4, small. Ovary stipitate; style short and thick, or elongated and filiform; stigma terminal; ovules 2 or rarely 1, orthotropous, pendulous from the top of the cell. Fruit a drupe, either 1-celled and 1-seeded, or obliquely 2-celled and 2-seeded; exocarp more or less succulent; endocarp thick and hard.

Species about 60, all confined to Australia except the present one, which is endemic in the North Island of New Zealand.

• 1. P. Toru, A. Cunn. in Bot. Mag. sub t. 3513.—A handsome closely branched tree 15 to 30 or 40 ft. high; trunk 6–18 in. diam.; branchless woody, terete, glabrous or the younger ones minutely puberulous. Leaves alternate, 4–8 in. long, narrow linear-lanceolate, acute or apiculate or rarely obtuse, gradually narrowed into a short petiole, quite entire, very thick and coriaceous, glabrous, smooth and polished on both surfaces, veins very obscure. Racemes axillary, strict, erect, 6–12-flowered, everywhere clothed with ferruginous pubescence. Perianth yellowish-brown, shortly pedicelled, ¼–⅓ in. long, pubescent externally. Ovary almost sessile, glabrous; style short, thick, not reaching the anthers; stigma oblique. Drupe oblong, reddish, ½–⅔ in. long, 1- or 2-celled, with a single seed in each cell.—P. Tora, A. Cunn. Precur. n. 349; Raoul, Choix, 42. P. Toro, HooK. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 219; Handb. N.Z. FL 241; Kirk, Forest Fl. t. 74.

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  North Island: Not uncommon in woods from the North Cape to Rotorua and the East Cape. Sea-level to 2800 ft. Toru; Toro. October–November.

  The specific name was given as "Toru" in Cunningham's original description in the "Botanical Magazine," and according to Mr. Colenso this is the proper spelling of the Maori name. It. was, however, changed to "Tora" in Cunningham's subsequently published "Precursor," and was again altered to "Toro" by Sir J. D. Hooker. The wood is dark-red and prettily figured, and is occasionally used for inlaying and ornamental cabinetwork.