Page:Manual of the New Zealand Flora.djvu/293

Coprosma.] growing in exposed places; young shoots more or less clothed with a short white pubescence. Leaves ¼–¾ in. long, $1⁄8$–$1⁄2$ in. broad, very variable in shape and texture, orbicular or broadly ovate to narrow-oblong, in some varieties with lanceolate or linear leaves mixed with the broader ones, rounded retuse or acute, abruptly narrowed into a very short petiole, coriaceous or almost membranous, glabrous or puberulous beneath; veins reticulated, evident except in the more coriaceous forms. Flowers axillary, solitary or in 2–3-flowered fascicles, involucellate. Males: Calyx wanting. Corolla campanulate, $1⁄10$ in. long, 4–5-lobed to below the middle, lobes often recurved. Females smaller and narrower. Calyx-limb truncate or obsoletely toothed. Corolla tubular, deeply 4-cleft; lobes narrow, revolute. Drupe globose, $1⁄6$ in. diam., usually bright-red or reddish-black, rarely quite black.—''Cheesem. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xix. (1887) 239; Kirk, Students' Fl.'' 236. Two main forms are distinguishable as follows:—

18. C. ciliata, Hook. f. Fl. Antarct. i. 22.—A much-branched bush 4–10 ft. high, sometimes forming almost impenetrable thickets; branches stout or slender, lax or dense, young ones villous with rather rigid hairs; bark pale, almost white. Leaves tufted on short lateral branchlets, ¼–⅔ in. long, oblong or oblong-obovate, rarely narrower and linear-oblong, obtuse or subacute, narrowed into a very short petiole, flat, rather membranous, under-surface slightly pubescent, margins and petiole ciliate; veins obscure, not reticulated. Stipules broad, acute, villous. Flowers unknown. Drupe (only a single specimen seen) subglobose, $1⁄5$ in. diam., black.—''Handb. N.Z. Fl. 115; Kirk, Students' Fl.'' 237.

19. C. parviflora, Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 107.—An erect much-branched leafy shrub 4–15 ft. high; branches stout or slender, often spreading in a horizontal plane; branchlets densely pubescent or