Chkeseman.— On the Genus Coprosma. 226 



arhorea, C. eunninghamii, etc.). In others it is blueish (C. 

 acerosa, C. parvijiora), and iu some black [0. spathuliti, C. 

 tenuicanUa, etc.). The shape is pretty constant in each species, 

 and hence it is of considerable value as a distinguishing 

 character ; but the size, and to a lesser degree the colour, are 

 very variable. 



Fertilization. — All the species appear to be wind-fertilized. 

 When a male tree in full flower is shaken, clouds of the loose 

 incoherent pollen are driven off; and the long projecting styles 

 of the female flowers, densely clothed with stigmatic papillas, 

 are well calculated to catch the pollen. As a rule, insects are 

 seldom seen on the flowers of any of the species. A small 

 dipterous insect occasionally visits those of C. robicsta and C. 

 propinqua, apparently to feed on the pollen ; but I have never 

 observed it on the female flowers, and consequently it cannot 

 aid in the fertilization of the species. 



Distribution of the species. — Of the thirty-one species admitted, 

 all but three are confined to New Zealand, includnig in that term 

 the adjacent groups of the Kermadecs, the Chathams, and the 

 Auckland and Campbell Islands. The species found outside the 

 Colony are the following : — C. baueriana, which is plentiful in 

 Norfolk Island ; C. petiolata, which occurs both there and in 

 Lord Howe Island ; and C. repens (C. pumila), which is found 

 on the mountains of Victoria and Tasmania. 



In the systematic portion of this paper the distribution of 

 the species within the Colony is given as fully as possible, so 

 that it is unnecessary to dwell on that point here. With respect 

 to the character of their habitats, the species may be roughly 

 divided into the following five classes : — 



'O 



1. Maritime, including C. baueriana, C. petiolata, and the 



typical form of C. acerosa. 



2. Lowland species of wide and general distribution, 



with no marked preference for any particular soil or 

 situation, such as 0. robusta, C. lucida, C. grandi- 

 folia, etc. 



3. Lowland species preferring swampy forests or rich 



alluvial soils — C. propinqua, C. rutundifulia, C. area- 

 lata, and several others. 



4. Lowland species with a local and confined distri- 



bution, as C. s2Kithulata, C. arhorea, etc. 



5. Species confined to hilly or subalpine localities, as 



C. fatidissima, C. colensoi, C. cuneata, C. repens, and 

 a few others. 



Before passing to the systematic part of the paper, I have 

 to tender my most sincere thanks to several gentlemen for their 

 kind assistance in its preparation. To Mr. Petrie, of Dmiedin, 



16 



