Cheeseman. — Three New Species of Coprosma. 315 



Art. LI. — Description of three New Species of Coprosma. 



By T. F. Cheeseman, F.L.S. 



[Read before the Auckland Institute, BOth November, 1885.] 



1. Coprosma tenuifolia, n. sp. 



A rather slender, sparingly branched shrub or small tree, 

 8-15 feet high, glabrous, with the exception of a line of hairs 

 on the midrib and petiole ; branches slender, terete, bark pale. 

 Leaves membranous, 1^—5 inches long, £-1^ inch broad, vary- 

 ing from ovate or oblong-ovate to oblong-lanceolate or elliptic- 

 lanceolate, acute or acuminate, narrowed into rather long and 

 slender petioles, J-f inch long, dull brownish-green above, paler 

 below ; veins conspicuous on both surfaces, very finely reticu- 

 lated. Stipules rather large, triangular, connate at the base, 

 thin, often ciliate at the margins or apex when young. Flowers 

 not seen. Fruit in dense fascicles of 3 to 8 on short lateral 

 branchlets, J- ^ inch long, ovoid or oblong. 



Hab. Euahins Mountains; Colenso (" Handbook," p. 114). 

 Pirongia Mountain ; Mount Karioi ; abundant on the Mount 

 Egmont Eanges ; T.F.C. I have also seen specimens collected 

 by Mr. Kirk between Upper Wanganui and the Waikato, so that 

 probably it has a wide distribution in the interior of the North 

 Island. 



I have been acquainted with this species for many years, but 

 have delayed describing it, in the hope of obtaining flowering 

 specimens. It was first gathered by Mr. Colenso on the Buahine 

 Mountains, and is the plant alluded to in the Handbook in a 

 note to the description of C. acutifolia. I have never seen 

 C. acutifolia, but Mr. N. E. Brown, of the Kew Herbarium, who 

 has done me the favour of comparing the type specimens of that 

 species with my plant, informs me that the two are certainly 

 distinct ; and in this opinion Sir Joseph Hooker also concurs. 



The dull- green membranous foliage of C. tenuifolia approaches 

 that of C. grandifolia, and the habit is also not much dissimilar. 

 The fruit, however, proves that the inflorescence is totally 

 different. From G. lucida, C. robusta, etc., it is at once separated 

 by the membranous leaves. 



2. Coprosma areolata, n. sp. 



An erect, closely branched shrub or small tree, 6-15 feet high, 

 or even more. Branches slender, often fastigiate, bark pale- 

 greyish-green or brown ; ultimate pubescent or almost villous, 

 with soft greyish hairs. Leaves in opposite pairs, J— ■ § inch 

 long, orbicular-spathulate, ovate-spathulate, or elliptic-spathulate, 

 usually acute or apiculate, but sometimes obtuse, rather thin 

 and membranous, flat, glabrous or nearly so above, usually 



