Flora of New Zealand Series

Kaikomako.

Type locality: Queen Charlotte Sound ? Type: P?

Canopy tree up to c. 10 m. tall, with slender trunk; bark grey; branchlets, petioles and infl. pubescent. Juvenile plant shrubby, with slender, flexible, ± interlacing divaricating branchlets. Lvs sts fascicled, distant on short slender petioles; lamina 7-15 × 5-10 mm., ± obovate, cuneately narrowed to base, ± lobed or toothed towards apex. Adult with lvs on slender petioles up to ± 1 cm. long; lamina coriac., oblong to obovate-oblong, (2)-5-10 × 1-4 cm., sinuate or irregularly rather coarsely crenate-dentate or lobed or rarely entire. Panicles 4-8 cm. long; fls fragrant, small, unisexual; petals 5, white. ♂ with filaments > petals; anthers large, versatile; ovary rud. ♀with filaments < petals; anthers erect. Ovary oblong; stigma 3-lobed. Drupe black, c. 8-9 mm. long.

DIST.: N., S. Lowland forest from lat. 35° southwards.

FL 11-2. FT. 1-5.