i f
h
1
Y
when drying, though when alive and growing it is inodorous. It varies in size, from a small prostrate shrub to a tree
20-30 feet, and is always perfectly smooth, even the youngest branches. Bark white or pale. Stipules ovate, acute,
often with a subulate top, deciduous. Leaves oblong or obovate, very variable in length (4-14 inch) and breadth,
blunt or sharp, narrowed into a petiole 4—4 long. Flowei-s apparently sessile, solitary, being terminal on very
short axillary branches. Calyx tube truncate ; limb none. Corolla very large, 4 inch long : of the male tubular, four-
to eight-cleft ; of the female campanulate, smaller, divided below the middle into four linear recurved lobes, papillose
ou the margin. Stamens often five; anthers very large, as long as the corolla. Styles exserted, very stout, 4 inch
long. Berry fleshy, red, very variable in size, 4-4 inch long, with two linear-oblong seeds.—The perfectly
smooth branchlets, large flowers, petiolate leaves, and want of a calyx, are amongst the most constant characters of
this most variable plant.
6. Coprosma spathulata, A. Cunn.; fruticosa, erecta, divaricatim ramosa, glaberrima, ramis gracilibus,
ramulis puberulis, stipulis late ovatis deciduis, foliis spathulatis late ovato-rotundatis rhombeisve acutis
retusisve iu petiolum sæpe longissimum planum lineare abrupte angustatis lucidis venosis (4-4 unc. longis),
floribus parvis solitariis v. 2-3 ; masc. calyce campanulato 4-partito lobis linearibus obtusis, corolla 4-loba
4 unc. longa, staminibus 4 ; foem. calycis hmbo irregulariter 4-8-partito lobis Liuearibus ciliatis, corollæ
tubo brevi campanulato lobis 4 -6 linearibus recurvis, stylis elongatis 4 unc. longis, bacca calycis laciniis
coronata. /L Cunn. Frodr. Pelaphoides rotundifolia. Banks et Sol. MSS.
H a b . Northern Island ; abundant. Bay of Islands and east coast. Banks and Solander, Cunningham,
etc. (Cultivated in England.)
A shrub 3-5 feet high, with slender spreading branches, perfectly smooth, except the ramuli, whicli are very
obscurely downy. Leaves extremely variable in size and form, always suddenly contracted into a linear narrow
grooved petiole ; lamina round, rhomboid, obovate or broadly ovate, or spathulate or obcordate, blunt, apiculate,
retuse or almost two-lobed, shining above, paler below; sometimes 4 inches long with the petiole, sometimes not
4 inch; there is no constant proportion between length of petiole and lamina. Flowers small, axillary, solitary or
two to three together. Male Jlowers :— Calyx of four narrow lobes. Corolla subcampanulate, usually four-lobed.
Stamens four. Female:—Calyx tube ovoid; limb of four to eight linear, unequal, ciliated, blunt lobes. Corolla with
a short campanulate tube, and four linear spreading segments. Styles stout, 4 inch long. Bermj red, very variable
in size, ovoid, crowned with the calyx lobes.—The calyx lobes offer a very prominent character for this species.
7. Coprosma tenuicaulis, Hook, fil.; frutex erectus, divaricatim ramosus, ramis ramulisque gracilibus
puberulis, cortice fusco, foliis parvis (4 unc.) sparsis subspatlmlatis late ovato-rotundatis in petiolum
planum angustatis obtusis subacutisvfe subtus puberulis reticulatim venosis, floribus puberulis solitariis
2-3-nisve parvis; masc. corolla calyce spurio cupnlari inæqualiter 4-lobo v. 4-partito suffulta (4-4 unc.)
tubo brevi lobis lineari-oblongis, staminibus 4, antheris oblongis; foem. calycis tubo ovoideo limbo sub-
elongato obscure 4-lobo cihato, corolla pubeseente tubo brevi lobis 4 elongatis linearibus.
Ha b . Northern Island. Bay of Islands, Colenso, etc.
A small shrub, with slender downy branclilets, and dark red-brown branches. Leaves small (4 inch), broadly
obovate-spathulate, narrowed into a short petiole, blunt, downy below. Flowers pubescent, small, 4-4 inch long.
Male Jlowers:—Apparent cafyx four-lobed, cup-shaped, more or less h-regular, formed of two connate stipules. CoroUa
very narrow at tlie base, four-lobed ; lobes spreading, oblong, blunt. Stamens four; anthers oblong. Female;—
Calyx tube ovoid ; limb rather cup-shaped, obscurely four-lobed. Corolla with a short tube, and four long spreading
lobes.—My specimens of this are very uniform in appearance ; they resemble some states of C. divaricata very closely
indeed, chiefly differing in the pubescent under surface of the leaves. The cupuliform calyx of the male is the result
of the union of opposite stipules with rudimentary leaves. Small specimens from Mr. Colenso have the leaves much
reduced, hardly 1 line loug.
8. Coprosma rhamnoides, A. Cmin. ; frnticulas flexuosim divaricatim ramosissimus, rigidus, ramulis
sæpius validis cano-pubescentibus, foliis parvis (4-4 RQC.) late elliptico-ovatis rhorabeis spathulatisve
obtusis subacutisve glaberrimis in petiolum brevem angustatis, floribus glaberrimis minimis solitariis;
masc. (alabast. late obovatis) coroUa calyce spurio cupuliformi 4-lobo suffulta lobis 2 oppositis majoribus,
coroUæ tubo brevi anguste campanulato 4-5-lobo, staminibus 4 -5 , antheris late oblongis ; foem. calycis
tubo ovoideo limbo breviter tubuloso 4-5-fido ciliato, coroUa infundibuliformi 4-5-fida lobis linearibus
recurvis, stylis 2 gracilibus, baccis parvis. A. Cunn. Frodr.
H a b . Northern and Middle Islands; chiefly on the east coast, Cunningham, etc.
A rigid woody shrub, variable in size and habit, very much branched; the branches intricate, stout, patent and
flexuous, ultimate ones hoary with pubescence. Leaves pretty uniform in size (4~4 inch), rounded, obovate or
elliptic, oblong or spathulate, narrowed into short petioles, often green when dry. Flowers very minute. Male:—
Calyx none, except two connate stipules, as in the C. tenuicaulis, which may be seen beneath the ovarium of the
female flower. Corolla broadly obovate before expansion, four- to five-cleft. Stamens four to flve. Female:—Calyx
tube ovoid ; limb a shoi-t, ciliated, four- to five-cleft tube. Corolla funnel-shaped, four- to five-cleft, with two long
slender styles. Berries very small, 1-2 lines long, rounded.—I have named this plant hy specimens in Cunningham’s
Herbarium, which agree but indifferently with the wholly insufficient descriptions in his ‘ Prodromus.’ The
very small flowers and fruit afford important characters.
9. Coprosma divaricata, A. Cunn.; frutex lignosus, rigidus, divaricatim ramosus, ramis sæpius brunneis,
ramulis puberulis glabratisve, foliis parvis (4 -7 unc.) rotundatis obcordatis obovato-spathulatis oblongisve
in petiolum mediocrem angustatis coriaceis v. membranaceis obtusis, floribus parvis glaberrimis ut in C.
rhamnoides. A. Cunn. Frodr.
Var. /S. gracilis; ramis gracilibus, foliis lineari-spathulatis obtusis. C. gracilis, A. Cmn. Herb, et
Frodr.
Var. ^ .p a llid a ; ramis gracilibus, cortice albido, foliis obovato-spathulatis sublonge petiolatis.
Y’ar. 8. latifolia; ramis gracilibus, cortice fusco, foliis sparsis breve petiolatis majoribus (4 unc.) late
oblongo-spathulatis apiculatis retusisve subtus pallidis glaberrimis v. puberulis. (An sp. distincta?)
Var. e. coriacea; ramis robustis lignosis, foliis sparsis rigide coriaceis late obovato-rotundatis spatlm-
latisve marginibus recurvis glaberrimis.
H a b . Throughout the Northern and Middle Islands ; common. Var. 8. Bay of Islands, east coast,
and Otago. (Cultivated in England.)
What I take to be the ordinary form of C. divaricata resembles C. rhamnoides, but has large, generally more
coriaceous leaves, less pubescent branches, and larger berries. I am quite at a loss, however, to give good diagnostic
characters for these species, which, being dioecious and very variable, and only known to me through dried
specimens, present almost insuperable difficulties in the herbarium. Amongst aU the specimens I have included
here, there is no female flower, only young fruit ; and the male flower entirely resembles that of the last species.
The habit is generally laxer than that of C. rhamnoides ; branches widely sprfeading, slender, stout, sparingly leafy.
Leaves scattered, 4-4 inch long, obovate-spathulate, more or less elongated, and nan-owed into petioles of very-
variable length, smooth, blunt, retuse, or obcordate. Flowers very small, axillary, solitary or four or five to-
gether, shortly pedicellate ; pedicels bearing little cups like calyces, which are connate stipules, in which the flowers
are sessile. Male flowers as in C. rhamnoides. In var. (3 the leaves are rather longer than in the ordinary form ;
in var. y the slender branches arc covered with a white silvery bark ; in var. S the leaves are very broad, on short
petioles, are f inch long, blunt, apiculate, pale and sometimes pubescent below ; in var. e the branches are very-
woody and thick, leaves smaller than in var. h, but very coriaceous.
10. Coprosma parvifora, Hook. fil. ; frutex rigidus, ramosissimus, ramis planis, ramulis divaricatis