Page:Manual of the New Zealand Flora.djvu/684

644 Closely allied to F. Solandri, but much smaller, with the leaves truly ovate, broadest at the base, and usually acute at the tip. Wood very similar to that of F. Solandri. 



Resinous trees or shrubs, almost always evergreen. Leaves opposite or whorled or alternate, solitary or fascicled within membranous sheaths, rigid, subulate or linear or scale-like, rarely broad and flat. Flowers monœcious or diœcious; males usually solitary, catkin-like, deciduous; females often cone-like. Perianth always wanting in both sexes. Male flowers reduced to the stamens only, which are usually numerous; filaments connate into an oblong or cylindrical central axis (staminal column); anthers placed around the axis, stipitate or sessile; cells 2 or more, either adnate to the back of the connective, or pendulous from its scale-like or peltate summit. Female flowers of one or more erect or reversed naked ovules, without ovary style or stigma, sessile on a scale (open carpellary leaf or carpidium) which is free or adnate to a bract; scales rarely solitary, usually several or many, in the latter case forming a cone or head. Fruit composed of the enlarged hardened or succulent scales or bracts, between which the seeds are hidden; or the mature seed may be exserted beyond the unchanged or fleshy scales or bracts. Seeds winged or wingless; testa thick or thin, membranous or crustaceous or fleshy; albumen copious, fleshy or farinaceous; embryo straight, axile, cotyledons 2 or more, radicle terete.