Flora of New Zealand Series

Tree up to ± 10 m. tall; trunk ± 6 dm. diam.; branches stout, bark nearly, black; branchlets, lflts, infl.-axes and capsules densely clad in ferruginous hairs when young. Lvs imparipinnate, ± 10-40 cm. long, on petioles ± 8 cm. long. Lflts alt. to subopp., 4-6 pairs on petiolules c. 5 mm. long. Lamina ± 5-10 × 2-5 cm. long, subcoriac., slightly obliquely ovate-lanceolate to ovate-oblong, acuminate, ± sinuate-undulate, coarsely irregularly serrate-dentate with teeth up to c. 5 mm. long, to obscurely toothed or entire. Panicles up to c. 3 dm. long, us. much and openly branched; pedicels slender, up to c. 5 mm. long. Calyx cupular, pubescent, ± deeply cleft into 5 triangular acute teeth. Stamens 6-8; anthers large, dark red. Ovary small, densely pubescent. Capsule somewhat woody, 8-12 mm. long, pubescent, winged above, the wing us. produced as a spur on one side. Seeds subglobose, black, lustrous; aril scarlet, fleshy, granular, us. investing lower half of seed, sts vestigial.

DIST.: N., S. Lowland forest, especially on alluvial ground, from near North Cape to Banks Peninsula on east and further south on west. Titoki.

FL. 10-12. FT. 10-12 in following year.

Seedling and young plants have lvs deeply irregularly lobed, the lobes very coarsely toothed. Older plants have the lobing and toothing less marked, and adult plants may have all or most lvs obscurely toothed to subentire. The degree of development of the aril differs; some trees and indeed some populations may have the aril almost suppressed.