1. Fusanus, R. Br.

Glabrous trees or shrubs. Leaves opposite or alternate. Flowers hermaphrodite or unisexual by abortion, in axillary or terminal racemes or fascicles. Perianth-tube turbinate, adnate to the ovary and produced above it into a projecting rim; segments 4–6, each furnished with a tuft of hairs at the base. Stamens 4–6, affixed to the base of the perianth-segments and shorter than them;: anthers ovate, dehiscing longitudinally. Disc lining the projecting. page 624part of the perianth-tube. Ovary inferior; style short, conic; stigma small, 2–4-lobed; ovules 2–4. Frait a globose or turbinate drupe crowned at the summit by the annular scar of the perianth-segments; exocarp more or less fleshy; endocarp hard, often rugose. Embryo linear, in the centre of the albumen.

A small genus of 5 species, all Australian except the one found in New Zealand.

• 1. F. Cunninghamii, Benth. and Hook. f. ex T. Kirk, Forest Fl. t. 75, 76.—A small slender tree 10–25 ft. high; trunk seldom more than 9 in. diam.; bark grey. Leaves alternate or more rarely opposite, extremely variable in shape, 2–5 in. long, ⅕–1 in. broad, linear-lanceolate or lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate or elliptic-oblong or obovate, acute or acuminate, narrowed into short petioles, quite entire, dark-green and glossy, veined, minutely punctate. Inflorescence axillary, of few- or many-flowered racemes or cymes, rarely reduced to few-flowered fascicles. Flowers small, ⅙–¼ in. diam., brownish - green, hermaphrodite or unisexual by abortion, the females the smallest. Perianth - tube hemispherical; segments 4–6, triangular, deciduous, each with a tuft of yellowish hairs at the base. Stamens the same number as the perianth-segments; filaments short, slender. Disc 4–6-lobed. Stigma 2–4-lobed. Drupe ⅓–½ in. long, narrow-turbinate, bright - red, crowned with the annular scar of the perianth - segments.—Santalum Cunninghamii, Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 223; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 247. S. Mida, Hook. Ic. Plant, t. 563, 575; Raoul, Choix, 42. Mida salicifolia, M. eucalyptoides, and M. myrtifolia, A. Cunn. Precur. n. 340, 341, 342.

  North Island: Lowland forests from the North Cape to Cook Strait, but local to the south of Rotorua. Sea-level to 2000 ft. Maire; New Zealand Sandal-wood. September–October.

  This differs from the Australian species of the genus in the alternate leaves, axillary inflorescence, and turbinate fruit. Cunningham constituted a separate genus for it under the name of Mida, and divided it into 3 species based upon the greater or lesser breadth of the leaves. But as leaves of all intermediate shapes can easily be found, and sometimes occur on the same branch, it is impossible to separate his species even as varieties. The wood is hard and dense, very strong and durable, and is occasionally used for ornamental turnery, inlaying, &c.