. Plants of New Zealand. Fig. 119. Ngaio tree on the sea-beach. Myoporum laetum {The Ngaio). A small tree, 10 ft. in height. Leaves 2 in. long, lanceolate, acute,,partially serrate, bright-green, shining. Flowers 2-6 together. Corolla J § , white, spotted with lilac. Drupe jin. long. Both islands : usuallynear the sea-shore. Fl. The Ngaio tree is well known throughout the not restricted to the sea-coast, it is seldom foundfar inland. At times it may be met with growing almostwithin high-water mark. When young, it is a beautiful^ THE VEEBENA FAM
. Plants of New Zealand. Fig. 119. Ngaio tree on the sea-beach. Myoporum laetum {The Ngaio). A small tree, 10 ft. in height. Leaves 2 in. long, lanceolate, acute,,partially serrate, bright-green, shining. Flowers 2-6 together. Corolla J § , white, spotted with lilac. Drupe jin. long. Both islands : usuallynear the sea-shore. Fl. The Ngaio tree is well known throughout the not restricted to the sea-coast, it is seldom foundfar inland. At times it may be met with growing almostwithin high-water mark. When young, it is a beautiful^ THE VEEBENA FAMILY 363. Fig. 120. Myoporum Isetum (life size). 864 PLANTS OF NEW ZEALAND shapely bush ; but, as it grows older, the lower branches getbroken off, and the tree becomes gnarled and distorted. Theblack buds are protected by a gummy secretion. The leavesare full of translucent oil-glands, which give them a highlycharacteristic appearance. These glands, though most con-spicuous in the leaf, are found in other parts of the plant, andindeed similar secreting spaces are found throughout the function is apparently unknown. As the upper epidermisis often lens-shaped over the glands, it is possible that theymay in some way or other be related to the light reaction ofthe leaf. According to Colenso, a decoction, made from the leaves ofMyoporiim, was used by the Maoris to protect the face andhands from the bites of sand-fiies and mosquitoes. Labiateae. The Thyme Family. Distribution.—A very large family, chiefly found in temperate regions. Thespecies are often aromatic, the leaves containing
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectplants, bookyear1906
