Flora of New Zealand Series

Panax ferox Kirk in T.N.Z.I. 10, 1878, App. xxxiv. Wrongly attributed to

P. crassifolium by Buchanan in T.N.Z.I. 9, 1877, 529, t. 20.

Type locality: "Valley of the Poulter, near the junction of the Matukituki". Type: W, T. Kirk.

Shrub or tree up to 5 m. tall, with slender trunk. Lvs of seedlings about linear-lanceolate, toothed; of unbranched juveniles narrow-linear, deflexed, up to c. 50 cm. long, very thick and coriac., with closely or distantly placed broad, rounded, us. hooked, lobes, c. 7·5-15 mm. wide at base; midribs very stout, raised, c. 2 mm. wide; lobes often crowded at lf-apex. Lvs at branching stage becoming shorter, ascending, often more sharply lobed, passing into those of adult stage. Lvs of adults c. 5-15 × 1-2 cm., oblong to linear-obovate, gradually narrowed to stout petiole c. 1-2 cm. long; obtuse or mucronate-apiculate to retuse, bluntly serrate to entire, veins evident above. Umbels terminal, compound; staminate with 5-12 rays c. 3-5 cm. long, with fls racemosely distributed; pistillate with rays 1-3 cm. long, umbellules 2-5-fld. Stamens 4-5, ovary 5-loculed, 5-ovuled; style-branches 5, connate, sts free at tips. Fr. broad-oblong in outline, c. 8-9 mm. diam.

DIST.: N., S. Lowland forest and scrub from lat. 35° southwards, rather rare.

FL.- FT. 1-4.