Manual of the New Zealand Flora.

1. Persoonia, Smith

1. Persoonia, Smith.

Shrubs or small trees. Leaves entire, alternate or sometimes almost whorled. Flowers small, hermaphrodite, yellowish or white, solitary and axillary, or in axillary or terminal racemes. Perianth regular, constricted above the base or cylindrical; segments ultimately separating to the base or nearly so, upper portion revolute. Stamens affixed at or below the middle of the perianth-segments; filaments short; anthers usually all perfect, oblong or linear. Hypogynous scales 4, small. Ovary stipitate; style short and thick, or elongated and filiform; stigma terminal; ovules 2 or rarely 1, orthotropous, pendulous from the top of the cell. Fruit a drupe, either 1-celled and 1-seeded, or obliquely 2-celled and 2-seeded; exocarp more or less succulent; endocarp thick and hard.

Species about 60, all confined to Australia except the present one, which is endemic in the North Island of New Zealand.