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A small branching light-wooded tree, covered with stellate down, having large, alternate, 57-nerved, cordate, toothed stipulate leaves, and umbellate cymes of white flowers. Sepals 4 or 5, free. Petals 4 or 5, undulate. Stamens very numerous, free, on a low torus, with filiform filaments and versatile anthers. Ovary 46-celled; style simple, stigmatiferous at the toothed apex; cells many-ovuled. Capsule globose, echinate with long rigid bristles, 46-valved, loculicidal.
1. E. arborescens, Br.; Fl. N. Z. i. 33. Leaves 48 in. long, on long petioles, oblique, often lobed irregularly and acutely, doubly or trebly crenate or serrate; stipules persistent. Flowers white, abundant, in erect cymes, bracteate at the axils, ¾-1 in. diam., drooping. Sepals acuminate. Ovary hispid. Capsule the size of a hazel-nut. Spines nearly 1 in. long. Seeds in two rows, albumen oily. Bot. Mag. t. 2480; Apeiba australis, A. Rich. Flor. t. 34.
Not rare throughout the Northern Island, Banks and Solander, etc. The Genus is confined to New Zealand.
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