Flora of New Zealand Series

Panax anomalum Hook. in Lond. J. Bot. 2, 1843, 422, t. 12.

Nothopanax anomalum (Hook.) Seem. in J. Bot., Lond. 4, 1866, 296.

Type locality: Bay of Islands. Type: K, Colenso "231, in pine swamp".

Shrub with densely divaricating branches, up to c. 3 m. tall; branchlets setose. Lvs of juveniles 3-foliolate; petioles winged, up to c. 2 cm. long; lflts articulate at base of lamina. Lvs of adults unifoliolate, often a few trifoliolate lvs present; petiole c. 5 mm. long, lamina c. 1-2 × 1-1·5 cm., obovate-oblong to suborbicular, subcoriac., crenate to sinuate, crenatures often mucronate. Umbels simple, axillary, 2-10-fld, on short peduncles; fls minute, greenish; calyx minutely 5-toothed. Ovary 2-loculed, 2-ovuled, style-branches 2, finally recurved. Fr. c. 4-5 mm. diam., compressed.

DIST.: N., S., St. Forest margins and lowland scrub from lat. 35° southwards.

FL.- FT. 11-3.

Colenso described his Panax microphylla (T.N.Z.I. 16, 1884, 328) from specimens he collected "In shady open forests near Norsewood". He distinguishes it from P. anomalum "in its smaller and variously shaped leaves with glabrous . . . petioles-in its smaller and differently coloured fruit bearing plain-surfaced carpels and seeds-and particularly in its branches not being densely hairy". According to Colenso the lvs are very diverse in shape and toothing. Cheeseman (Man. N.Z. Fl. 1925, 635) accepts it as a var. of N. anomalum. I have seen only the few fragments at K; the matter needs further study. See also Colenso's remarks in T.N.Z.I. 17, 1885, 240.