104
many cases afford but indifferent characters ; the berries vary extremely in size according to situation and moisture,
as do the leaves in size and form, and the plaut in habit. I t is certainly the most variable and difficult New Zealand
genus, much more so than Epilobium, Timelea, or Alseuosmia, and is far more abundant than these. Some species
are intolerably foetid after being gathered ; none are beautiful except iu foliage, and I am not aware of their being
applied to any use whatever. I am far from being certain that I have referred in all cases Mr. Cunningham’s names
to the plants he intends ; his descriptions are insufficient and inaccurate, and the species in his herbarium have
been mixed by himself, aud do not tally well with his own descriptions. (Name from the abominable stench of
some species.)
§ a. Shrubs or m a ll trees. Leaves large, more than 1 inch long. Flowers crowded upon axillary, more or less
elongated peduncles (peduncles often veiy short in C. robusta).
1. Coprosma lucida, E o rs t.; arbuscula dioica, glaberrima, foliis (4 -6 uuc.) coriaceis longe petiolatis
elliptico-ovatis obovatisve lanceolatisve acuminatis siccitate viridibus, pedunculis subsimplicibus articulatis
elongatis, floribus sessilibus, calyce tru n c ato obscure 5-lobo, fl. d dense capitatis, corolla infra medium 5-loba,
staminibus 5, fl. ? sæpius ternis, corollæ lobis lineari-oblongis patulis, stylis longissimis, seminibus late
oblongis. Forst. Prodr. DC. Prodr. v. 4:. p . b lS . A. R ich . Flora. A. Cunn. Prodr. Pelaphia laurifolia,
B a n k s et Sol. MS S .
H a b . Th ro u g h o u t th e Is la n d s ; abundant, etc. N a t. names, "K a r am u ” an d “ Karan g u ,”
Colenso. (Cultivated in England.)
A handsome, small, leafy tree, everywhere quite smooth. Leaves coriaceous, 3 -6 inches long, narrowed into
long petioles (4—f inch), lanceolate, oblong-obovate, or broadly obovate, acuminate or acute, rarely blunt, yellow-
green when dry, with reticulated veins. Stipules very broad, with short abrupt ovate tips. Peduncles longer than
tbe petioles, jointed twice or thrice, stipulate at the joints, and bearing fascicles of sessile flowers. Calyx tube
truncate, obscurely five-toothed. Corolla campanulate ; tube variable in length, five-lobed ; lobes linear-oblong.
Stamens five. Styles very long (4 inch). Berry 4 iuch long ; seeds broadly elliptical, oblong.—I take this and the
following to be truly dioecious plants ; the fruit is edible.
2. Coprosma grandifolia, Hook. fil. ; arbuscula glaberrima, foliis longe petiolatis 4 - 8 unc. longis am-
plis submembranaceis la te elliptico- v. oblongo-lanceolatis acutis apiculatisve, pedunculis elongatis trichotome
ramosis, floribus capitatis, calyce 5-dentato $ parvo, corolla $ elongato-campanulata 4-fida, staminibus 4,
baccis ovoideis, seminibus elongato- v. elliptico-oblongis. Pelaphia læta et P . grandifolia. B a n k s et Sol. M S S .
et Ic. R-onabea australis, A. R ich . Flora.
H a b . N o rth e rn and Middle Is la n d s ; abundant, Ba n k s and Solander, etc.
Closely allied to the preceding species, but very distinct, and to be recognized by the very large, broader,
more membranous leaves, often 7 inches long, with slender petioles 1 incb long. Peduncles slender, trichotomons,
the branches bearing heads of large sessile flowers. Calyx distinctly five-toothed, very small in the male flowers.
Corolla large, 4 frch long, campanulate, four-lobed. Berries variable in size and form. Seed generally longer than
in C. lucida.
3. Coprosma Baueriana, E n d l. ; fruticosa v. arbuscula glaberrima v. apicibus ramulorum puberulis,
ramis crassis, foliis petiolatis 4 -2 -u n ciab b u s late obovatis oblongo-rotundatisve apice rotunda tis retusis
apiculatisve coriaceo-subcarnosis siccitate atris marginibus recurvis, pedunculis breviuscubs simplicibus ra-
mosisve, calyce brevissimo obscure 4-lobo, corolla 4-loba tu b o brevi lobis oblongis, staminibus 4, stylis
robustis, baccis late obovatis turbinatisve. F n d l. Iconograph. t. iii. C. lucida, F n d l. Prodr. Flora Norf.
Is l. p . 60. C. retusa. Nobis in Lond. Journ. Bo t. v . 3. p . 4 1 6 . Pelaphia retusa, Ba n k s et Sol. MS S . et Ic.
H a b . No rth e rn Islan d , and n o rth e rn p arts of Middle Islan d . Bay of Is lan d s ; generally near the
sea, Sinclair, etc. Massacre Bay, L ya ll.
A low, branching, small tree or large shrub, with stout, thick, whitish branches, aud very broad, often fleshy,
leaves, which vary a good deal in texture, and are black when dry. Leaves 14 inch long, seldom 2 inches, often
much smaller, suddenly contracted into short thick petioles, broadly oblong, rounded or obovate, with recurved
margins, thick veins, and a rounded or retuse apiculate upper extremity. Peduncles stout, simple or rarely
branched, shorter thau the petioles. Fl-oweis densely capitate ; heads unisexual, dioecious ? of veiy many sessile
flowers. Calyx obscurely four-lobed, veiy inconspicuous. Corolla with a short tube, and four spreading oblong
lobes. Stamens îom-, anthers broadly oblong ; stout. Styles stout. Deny generally obovate, the seeds
obscurely thickened or keeled at the back.—The New Zealand specimens are of a mucli more succulent and stout
habit than those of Norfolk Island ; but I find no difference in the flowers or fruit, which latter varies extremely in
size, from that of a large pea to a small pepper-com.
4. Coprosma robusta, R ao u l; frutex v. arbuscula glaberrima ramosa foliosa, foliis 2 - 3 unc. longis
petiolatis ovalibus elliptico-oblongis lanceolato-ellipticisve acutis valde coriaceis siccitate atro-fuscis, pednn-
culis brevibus robustis articulatis, floribus pluilmis eonfertis, calycis limbo brevissimo obscure 4-lobo,
corolla breviter campanulata 4-loba, baccis eonfertis. R aoul, Choix de Plantes, p . 23. f. 21. C. fcetidis-
sima, A. Cunn. Prodr. p ro p a rte .
H ab. Th rougliout th e Islands, a b u n d a n t; from th e Bay of Islands, Cunningham (sub nom. C. lucida),
etc., to Akaroa, Ra o u l. (Cultivated in England.)
A large, leafy, erect, stout, woody shrub, everywhere quite smooth and glossy. Leaves 2 -3 inches long, very
coriaceous, dark brown when dry, on short petioles, generally elliptical oblong, but often elliptic lanceolate or
obovate oblong, blunt or acute. Stipules broadly triangular. Peduncles rarely longer than the petioles, stout,
jointed, seldom branched, with connate stipules at the joints, as in all the species. Flowers densely crowded at
the joints, sessile, forming together heads 4 inch across. Calyx-limb very short, truncate, obscurely fonr-lobed.
Corolla caropanulate, four-lobed above the middle, 2 -3 lines long. Anthers linear-oblong. Styles slender. Berries
the size of a large pepper-corn, bright red, very crowded. Seeds usually long, elliptical oblong.—A veiy distinct
species, as are the three preceding, though each is so variable in itself, that it is not easy to distinguish one till
familiar with the rest.
§ b. Erect, seldom prostrate shrubs or small trees. Leaves small [seldom 1 inch long), broad. Flowers sessile
or nearly so, solitaiy or few together. [In C. foetidissima the leaves are sometimes narrow, and 14 inch
long ; in C. spathulata the leaves are ofttnlarger. For C. propinqua í7?zí7 cuneata, see the following section)
5. Coprosma foe tid is s im a , F o rst. ; frutex v. arbuscula ubique glaberrima, ramis cortice pallido ram u lisque
ultimis glaberrimis, stipulis la te ovatis acutis sæpe apice subulatis submembranaceis deciduis, foliis
(4- I 4 unc.) anguste v. late obovatis oblongisve obtusis acutisve in petiolum sublongum angustatis, floribus
magnis sessilibus so litariis; rf cal. minimo tru n c ato obscure 4-lobo, corolla tubuloso-carapanulata (4 unc.)
4 -8 -fid a lobis erectis, stamina sub-5, antheris lineari-elongatis corollæ æq n ilo n g is; î cal. ore trunc ato
obscure 4-lobo, corolla campanulata infra medium 4-fida lobis linearibus recurvis marginibus papillosis,
stigmatibus crassis f unc. longis, baccis carnosis rubris. Forst. Prodr. DC. Prodr. A . R ich . Flora. Fl.
A n ta rc t.p . 20. t. 13.
Var. ^ ; foliis clliptico-lanceolatis acutis. C. affinis, F l. Antarct.
Var. 7 ; foliis auguste lanceolato-oblongis, ramis decumbentibus prostratisve. C. ? repens, A. R ich .
Fl. Nov. Zeal. ?
Var. B; párvula, ramis gracilibus, foliis 4-4 nnc. longis.
H a b . Mountains of th e N o rth e rn Islan d , Colenso. Ab u n d an t in th e Middle and S o u th e rn Islan d s,
Forster, etc. N a t. names, “ K a ram u ” and "K a ra n g u ,” Colenso.
A plant chiefly of the Middle and Southern Islands, which may almost be identified by its abominable smell
2 c