316 Transactions. — Botany. 



pubescent on the veins below, suddenly narrowed into short 

 hairy petioles ; veins reticulated in large areoles. Stipules 

 triangular, pubescent. Flowers axillary, solitary or more usually 

 in few flowered fascicles. Males : usually two to four together, 

 small, ^-^ inch long. True calyx wanting, but its place is 

 supplied by one or two involucels composed of a pair of de- 

 pauperated leaves and their stipules, and which closely invest 

 the base of the corolla. Corolla broadly campauulate, divided 

 about half-way down into four or five lobes. Stamens 4-5 ; 

 anthers large, pendulous. Females: solitary or two together, 

 rarely more, y 1 ^-^ inch long. Calyx limb minute, truncate 

 or very obscurely 4-lobed, closely invested by an involucel 

 similar to that of the male flower. Corolla narrow and tubular 

 at the base, divided about two-thirds of the way down into 

 three or four divisions, lobes often spreading. Drupe small, 

 oblong or obovoid, ^ inch long. 



Hab. North Island : common in Auckland province, and 

 probably in most lowland districts. South Island : Nelson, 

 T.F.C. ; Otago, D. Petrie. 



A very distinct species, quite different in habit to any of its 

 allies. It forms a compact densely-branched shrub or small 

 tree, usually narrow for its height, and often quite fastigiate. 

 The slender, soft and pubescent branchlets, pale bark and foliage, 

 and the reticulated veins of the leaves, are prominent characters. 

 It is a familiar plant to New Zealand botanists, but has not been 

 previously described. In the " Handbook," as Mr. N. E. Brown 

 informs me, it was confused with 0. rotundifulia . But that 

 species has wide- spreading branches, larger leaves, more numerous 

 flowers, and a smaller globose or didymous drupe. It is much 

 nearer to C. tenuieanlis, but that also differs in its more spreading 

 habit, dark coloured bark, more glabrous leaves and branchlets, 

 smaller, rounder, more coriaceous leaves, and in the globose 

 drupe. 



3. Coprosma petriei, n. s . 



A small alpine species, with prostrate and creeping 

 stems. Branches long or short, 0-18 inches, usually densely 

 matted, creeping and rooting, glabrous or puberulous. Leaves 

 close set or distant, erecto-patent, coriaceous, T \j-i inch long, 

 linear-oblong or linear-obovate, acute or obtuse, gradually 

 narrowed into very short broad petioles or sessile, veinless, 

 glabrous or margins, or both surfaces with short white hairs. 

 Stipules rather long, puberulous and ciliate. Flowers solitary, 

 terminating short erect branchlets. Males: ^--^o inch long. 

 True calyx wanting, but in its place a series of from 1-3 invo- 

 lucels composed of depauperated leaves and their stipules. 

 Carolla tubular at the base, above broad and campanulate, 

 4-lobed. Filaments very long. Females: Minute, hardly 



