Cheeseman. — On the Genus Coprosma. 243 



accepts this view. As a species, C. crassifoUa is best distin- 

 guished by the excessively stiff and rigid habit, ahnost glabrous 

 brauchlets, rounded thick and coriaceous leaves, and sub-globose 

 yellow fruit. The next species is separated by its more slender 

 habit, narrower spathulate leaves, and more oblong drupe ; C. 

 rubra by its larger thin orbicular leaves, and much larger oblong 

 fruit ; while C. virescens is at once removed by its slender habit 

 and thin spathulate leaves. 



19. C. rigida, n. sp. 



C. divaricata, Hook, fil., Flora Nov. Zeal., i., p. 107, in part; non G. divari- 



cata, A. Cunn., Prodr. 



North and South Islands. — Not uncommon throughout, in 

 swampy forests. 



A branching shrub or small tree, 5-15 feet high. Branches 

 divaricating, stout or slender, open or much interlaced, glabrous 

 or the very young twigs minutely pubescent ; bark reddish- 

 brown or plum colour. Leaves in opposite pairs on short lateral 

 branchlets, |--f inch long, obovate or oblong-spathulate, coria- 

 ceous but variable in texture, dark-green above but paler below, 

 quite glabrous, gradually narrowed into short petioles, veins not 

 reticulated. Stipules triangular, glabrous. Flowers solitary, or 

 in 2-4-flowered fascicles on short lateral branchlets. Males: 

 True calyx wanting, but one or more cupuliform involucres 

 closely investing the base of the corolla. Corolla broadly cam- 

 panulate, ^--^ inch long, divided more than half-way down into 

 4-5 lobes. Stamens, 4-5. Females : Calyx adnate to the 

 ovary, limb with 4-5 minute lobes. Corolla tubular, |— -i- inch 

 long, deeply 3-5-lobed. Drupe oblong, yellow, i-i inch long. 



This is one of the species included by Sir J. D. Hooker in 

 C. divaricata of the " Flora " and " Handbook." It is very near 

 to the preceding, but the habit is not nearly so rigid, the leaves 

 are narrower and not so coriaceous, and the fruit is larger and 

 more oblong. 



20. C. rubra. 



Petrie, Trans. N.Z. Inst., xvii., p. 269. G. divaricata var. latifolia, Hook, 

 fil.. Flora Nov. Zeal., i., p. 107 ; non C. divaricata, A. Cunn. 



North Island. — Colenso, in Herb. Kew, Nos. 380, 1976. 



South Island. — Otago : near Dunedin ; Otepopo ; Palmerston 



South, D. Petrie! 



An open or closely branched shrub, 5-12 feet high; branches 

 slender, divaricating, ultimate ones pubescent ; bark reddish- 

 brown, smooth. Leaves varying from broadly-oblong to nearly 

 orbicular, obtuse or sub-acute, glabrous or ciliolate, rather thin 

 and membranous, narrowed into rather long ciliolate petioles, 

 ^-f inch long, ^-^ inch wide; veins reticulated. Flowers 



