Flora of New Zealand Series

Shrubs or trees. Lvs usually alternate, rarely whorled, mostly coriaceous, exstipulate, entire and simple or pinnately lobed. Infl. a spike or raceme, rarely an umbel or fls solitary, often with an involucre. Fls usually regular, sometimes irregular, usually ⚥ (but spp. dioecious in Leucadendron). Calyx petaloid, of 4 valvate segments, cohering lightly at first, later separating. Corolla 0. Stamens 4, opposite the calyx lobes and adnate to them; anthers generally sessile. Ovary superior, sessile or stipitate, 1-locular; hypogynous glands often present; ovules 1-many; style simple, often rigid and persistent; stigma usually prominent, sometimes oblique. Fr. usually an achene, nut, or coriaceous or woody follicle, rarely a drupe. Seed almost always lacking endosperm.

55-60 genera, c. 1000-1300 spp., mainly arid or subarid S. Hemisphere, especially southern Africa, Australia and New Caledonia, a few in the Pacific islands, S. America and S.E. Asia, northwards to Japan.

A large number of proteaceous plants are very commonly cultivated in N.Z. for their ornamental fls, these sometimes being exported; of these only Hakea is widely naturalised, while Grevillea, Leucadendron, Macadamia, and Telopea are wild locally. In addition to the above genera, most gardens and parks in warmer parts of the country have one or more members of the South African genera Protea L., and Leucospermum R. Br., and the Australian genera Banksia L. f. and Dryandra R. Br..