250 Transactions. — Botany. 



measuring 6'5cm. x 2'25cm., or frequently they are of some- 

 what lesser dimensions. 



Coprosma fatidissima varies very considerably in the form 

 and size of its leaves ; so much so, in fact, that Hooker made 

 two species out of the various forms of the Auckland Islands, 

 the one Cojj. fcetidissima and the other Cuj). afflms. This 

 latter is distmguished from the type by its larger and longer 

 leaves, the apex of which is acuminate. Later on Hooker 

 merged both forms into one species. Amongst my specimens 

 are none which match the figure in the " Flora Antarctica," 

 but, generally speaking, the leaves are larger than those of 

 specimens collected in such a moist habitat as the forest near 

 Preservation Inlet. Seedlings of forms which in the adult 

 have leaves with tiieir laminae 5-9 cm. x 2-1 cm. have large 

 leaves at quite an early age, a plant 8 cm. tall having the 

 lowest leaves 2-5 cm. x l'6cm.,and the uppermost 3'5cm. x 

 2 cm. ; indeed, such seedlings have larger leaves than the 

 average adult leaves of plants at Preservation Inlet. Leaves 

 from rapidly growing suckers are of still greater dimensions, 

 measuring 7 cm. x 3 cm. 



Suttonia divaricata belongs to that class of shi-ubs which 

 I have elsewhere designated as xerophytic,''' and which bear 

 especially the impress of exposure to strong dry winds and 

 a dry soil. Such shrubs are very frequent in New Zea- 

 land, and belong to very different genera, or even natural 

 orders, yet so much resemble one another that some botanical 

 knowledge is required to discriminate betw'een them. Some 

 lianes, too, assume a similar habit of growth in the open, 

 and are frequently associated with the plants in question in 

 such stations as stony debris on dry hillsides or on river- 

 terraces. These plants are distinguished by the possession 

 of thin, wiry, interlacing, frequently divaricating branches, 

 the whole forming a dense mass so strong as to almost sup- 

 port the weight of a man, and which can be reclined on as on 

 a wnre-wove mattress. The leaves are of small size, more or 

 less coriaceous, and in some cases few in number. Amongst 

 the commonest plants of this class are several species of 

 Copros^na (Enbiacece), Aristotelia fruticosa (Tiliacece), Pitto- 

 spornm rigidnm ( Pittosporacece), Panax anovialum (Ara- 

 liacecB), species of Hymcnanthera (Violaccce), Corokia coton- 

 easter (Cornacece), the plant under discussion — Suttonia 

 divaricata (Myrsinaccce), and amongst lianes species of 

 Ruhus {liosacecB), MuJdcnheckia complcxa (Polyqonacece), 

 and Clematis afolinta (Ranuiiculacea). Siittonia divaricata 

 possesses in a marked degree the habit mentioned above. 

 The ultimate branchlets at the outside of the plant are 



• Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. xxxiii., p. 279. 1901. 



