liF
131.
I*;
ill
11
forms au erect, much and widely branching shrub, 3—4 feet high; branches slender, pubernlous. Leaves very narrow,
needle-like, \ inch long, 4-4 line broad, convex above, channelled below. Flotcers small, solitary ; male calyx
proper 0. Corolla in both sexes broadly campanulate, with foiu broad lobes, always surrounded at the base by a
cup-shaped false CiUyx.—Fruit edible.
15. Coprosma microcarpa, Hook. fil. ; fruticulus humilis, ramosissimus, ramis divaricatis ramulisque
cicatricatis puberulis, foliis parvis (4 unc.) longis anguste elliptico-lauceolatis acuminatis breviter petiolatis
planis coriaceis enerviis, baccis sohtariis minimis globosis brevissime pedunculatis cernuis.
Ha b . Northern Island. Top of Ruahine range, Colenso.
A small, vei*y much branched shrub, a few inches high. Branches slender, spreading, covered with whitish
bark, pubescent, scaiTcd. Leaves towards the ends of the branches, few, very small, 4 inch long, quite smooth,
coriaceous, nerveless, plane, narrow, elliptic-oblong, acuminate, shortly petioled. Berries very small, 14 line in
diameter, globose, ou very short bracteate peduncles at the ends of the branches.—Apparently a very distinct little
species, of which I have seen fruiting specimens only.
16. Coprosma depressa, Col.; fruticulus humilis, rigidus, prostratus v. suberectus, divaricatim ramosus,
ramis ramulisque validis ultimis puberulis, foliis parvis (-j-j unc. longis) subfasciculatis rigidis crassis
coriaceisque enerviis patulis subrecurvis anguste liueari-oblongis subcuneatisve superne concavis planisve
subtus convexis, fl. fcem. ovario stipulis calyciformibus immersis, calycis tubo ovoideo limbo truncato v.
4-lobo, baccis globosis aurantiacis ramulis terminalibus.
H a b . Northern Island ; high ground on the east coast, etc., Colenso. Middle Island ; Port Cooper,
Lyall.
A small, prostrate, smooth, woody, branching shrub, a span to a foot high, with rigid, spreading, stout, opposite
branches, and very small coriaceous deep gi-eeu or yellowish thick patent recurved leaves, 4—4 inch loug, linear-
oblong, narrow, blunt, shinmg, veinless, narrowed into a veiy short petiole. Female flowers alone seen, and after
the corolla has faUeu away. Ovarium ovoid, sunk in the cup-shaped connate stipules. Calyx tube quite smooth;
limb 4-lobed or wanting. The calyx-lobes appear sometimes to lengthen a little as the fruit ripens. Berry
globose, fleshy, about 3 hnes in diameter, sweet and eatable.—This much resembles a very small state of C. cuneata.
17. Co^Tosma cuneata, Hook. fil.; fruticulus hgnosus, rigidus, ramosissimus, erectus v. prostratus, ramis
validis cortice pallido cicatricatis foliosis ultimis pubescentibus, foliis patulis recurvis crassis coriaceisque
enerviis brevissime petiolatis ( 4 - | unc.) longis marginibus subrecurvis anguste lineari-cuneatis lanceolatis
elliptico-oblongisve rarius late cuneato-oblongis obovatisve subacutis obtusis retusis emarginatisve, stipulis
viUosis glabratisve, floribus magnis solitariis stipubs calyciformibus suffultis, calyce masc. 0, fcem. ore truii-
cato V. breviter 4-lobo, corolla late campanulata lobis lineari-oblongis patulis, antheris majusculis, baccis
rubris calycis dentibus brevissimis coronatri. Ft. Antaret. p . 21.
H a b . Northern Island, ou the mountains. Tongariro, Bidwill. Ruahine range, etc., Colenso.
A very rigid, woody, much-branched, small, prostrate or erect species, with whitish bark and leafy branches,
very variable in habit, and in the size and form of the foliage. Leaves numerous, 4 ~ | iuch long, very thick and
rigidly coriaceous, margins somewhat recurved, shortly petioled, linear-cuneate, lanceolate or oblong, rarely obovate,
blunt or notched, rarely sharp; stipules generally woolly at the mouth. Flowers large for the plant, 2-3 lines
long, solitary, sessile. Calyx 0 in the male flower; female with the mouth truncate or four-lobed. Corolla broadly
campanulate, with four linear blunt lobes.—This species was first found in Lord Auckland’s Group.
§ d. Stems shruhhj or herbaceous, creeping.
18. Coprosma Hook. fil.; fruticulus longe repens, glaberrimus, ramosissimus, foliosus, ramis
ramulisque brevibus, foliis parvis 4-4 unc. longis rigidis coriaceo-carnosis patulis elliptico-ovatis obovatisve
subacutis obtusisve in petiolum brevem angustatis supra planis concavisve subtus convexis, stipulis
brevibus, floribus ? parvis axillaribus solitariis calyce brevissime 4-lobo, coroUa tubulosa ad medium 4-fida,
baccis magnis carnosis 2-4-coccis. FL Antaret. p . 23. t. 16 A.
H a b . Mountains of the Northern Island. Lake Taupo, etc., Colenso.
A small, decidedly creeping species, with long, half-herbaceous, stout, whitish stems, growing amongst moss,
rooting eveiywhere, and with short, smooth branches. Leaves crowded, thick and coriaceous, 4—4 iiich long, liroadly
obovate or elliptic-ovate, blunt or sharp, plane or convex above, nerveless. Stipules short, broad. Flowers axillary,
small; female alone known. Calyx short; deeply four-lobed; lobes blunt. Corolla with a long tube, cleft to the
middle into linear erect or slightly-spreading lobes. Styles exserted, two to four, sometimes united towards the
base. Berry fleshy, as large as a pea, witb two to four plano-convex seeds.
19. CoTpvosmtL pmnita, Hook, fil.; fruticulus repens, glaberrimus v. foliis junioribus ciliatis, ramulis
brevibus suberectis foliosis, foliis parvis (4-4 nne.) longis lineari- v. elliptico-obovatis obtusis acutisve
rigidis coriaceo-carnosis in petiolum brevem angustatis, floribus magnis axillaribus sessilibus, calyce brevi
4-fido, corolla tubulosa 4-fida, filamentis longissime exsertis, baccis carnosis 2-coccis. Hook. fil. in Lond.
Journ. Bot. v. 9.p. 465. FL Antaret. t. 16 B. suh nom. C. repens.
H a b . Northern Island. Mountains of the interior, Colenso.
A small species, very similar to C. repens in most particulars, but the foliage is narrower, flowers larger, less
deeply divided, and the beny has only two seeds. It is found in Tasmania, whence male specimens in flower were
figured in ‘ Flora Antarctica.’ Both the stamens and sfyle are very much exserted; the former have long pendulous
anthers. The flowers are as long as or longer than the leaves, rather inflated, or campanuhite towards the mouth.
Gen. II . OPERCULARIA, A. Rich?^
Calycis limbus 3-5-lobus. Corolla 3-5-fida. Stamina 1-5. Semina sublævia.—Herbæ Iasi suffruti-
Eolia opposita, utrinque stipulata. Capitula globosa, terminalia, aut ex dichotomiis ramomm orta,
pedunculata aut subsessilia. Involucrum universale 0, aut fo liis 2 stipulisque 4 parvis constans. Invo-
\\XGxa.partialia gamopJiylla, acute ^-\9-dentata. DC.
Herbaceous plants, woody at the root, with opposite stipulate leaves, aud flowers collected into dense, globose,
terminal or axillary, sessile or peduuculate heads, ^lich are surrounded by toothed partial involucres of many
leaves united together. Calyx three- to five-lobed. Corolla three- to five-lobed. Stamens one to five. Capsides
opening hke little boxes, whence the name (from operculum, a liJ).—This genus is almost peculiar to Australia and
Tasmania, where the species are numerous ; I know nothing of the two described below, of which there ai-e no specimens
in Cunningham’s Herbarium.
1. Opercularia dipJtylla, J)C. ; ex dichotomia ramorum stipitatis sphæricis, involucris partialibus
setoso-hispidis, in capitulis pluribus 3-4i-floris, corollis 4-andris.” DC. Frodr. v. 4. p . 616. A.
Cmin. Prodr.
H a b . Northern Island, Banks and Solander.
2. Opercularia aspera, Gærtn.; “ foliis oblongis scabris venosis, floribus capitatis pedunculatis axillaribus."
DC. L c.p. 919. A. Cunn. Frodr. Rubioides aspera, YoJ. JfiSY.
H a b . Northern Island, Banks and Solander. Bay of Islands, R. Cunningham.
Gen. I I I . NERTERA, Banks et Sol.
Flores hermaphroditi. Calycis tuhus ovoideus ; limbus truncatus v. obscure 4-dentatus. Corolla
tubulosa V, iufundibuliformis, 4-loba. Stamina 4 ; filamenta basi corollæ inserta; antheris longe exsertis.