Oliver. — Vegetation, and Flora of Lord Howe Island. 153 



Coprosma prisca W. R. B. Oliver u. sp. 



Recorded : F. Muell., Fragm. Phijtogr. Austr. ix, 69, 1875 (C. Baueri) ; 

 Hemsley, Ann. Bot. x, 239, 1896 {C. Baueri). 



Frutex vel parva arbor. Foliae angusto-oblongae, obtusae vel subacutae, 

 basibus cimeatis, marginibus reflexis, petiolis brevibus tenuibus, 50-60 mm. 

 longae, 17-25 mm. latae. Flores masculi in capitulis 8-12-floris, calyce 

 minutae 4-dentato, corolla 3 mm. longa 4-lobata. Flores feminei in fasci- 

 culis bifloris, limbo calycis obscure 4-dentato, corolla profunde 4-lobata. 

 Drupa ovata, 7 mm. longa. 



A shrub 1-2 m. tall, or more rarely a small tree 8 m. tall. Leaves 

 almost fleshy, narrow-oblong, obtuse or subacute, base cuneate, margin 

 recurved, veins conspicuous on the lower surface, petiole short, slender ; 

 length (including petiole) 50-60 mm., breadth 17-25 mm. Male flowers 

 in 8-12-flowered heads on axillary peduncles. Calyx minute, 4-lobed. 

 Corolla 3 mm. long, 4-lobed. Female flowers in 2-flowered axillary fascicles, 

 calyx-limb obscurely 4-toothed, corolla deeply 4-lobed, the lobes longer 

 than the tube. Drupe ovoid, 7 mm. long. 



Anatomy of leaf of specimen from coastal scrub, Ned's Beach : Upper 

 epidermis of single row of cells longer than deep, with thickened outer 

 walls. Hypoderm of two rows of large cells with few or no chloroplaste, 

 the first row of rectangular cells, the second of cells elongated in direction 

 to surface of leaf. Palisade tissue of two or three rows of cells in the 

 centre of the leaf. Spongy tissue of small irregular cells with air-spaces. 

 Lower epidermis of single layer of cells longer than deep, with thickened 

 outer walls and a few small hairs. 



Habitat : Near the coast in scrub, forest, and on sand-flat (West Bay), 

 and ridge on top of sea-cliffs, north coast. 



Distribution : Endemic. The coastal coprosmas inhabitating New Zea- 

 land, Chatham, Lord Howe, Norfolk, and the Kermadec Islands form a 

 group of five closely allied species, one confined to each of the places 

 named. The Chatham Island form (C. chathamica Cockayne), with rather 

 acute leaves and short petioles, is the most distinct. That from Lord 

 Howe Island approaches it, but has narrower leaves. The Kermadec 

 species (C. petiolata Hook, f.) has subacute leaves with slender petioles, 

 and closely approaches the New Zealand species (C. retusa Hook, f.), which 

 has broad obtuse leaves with short stout petioles. Finally, the Norfolk 

 Island plant (C. Baueri Endl.) has retuse leaves with slender petioles. 



In separating the New Zealand form as a species distinct from the 

 Norfolk Island plant I have been obliged to restore Hooker's name retusa 

 (Lond. Journ. Bot., vol. 3, p. 415, 1844) for the former, and to restrict 

 Endlicher's familiar name Baueri to the latter. This change invalidates 

 Petrie's name C. retusa {Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. 26, p. 268, 1894) for which 

 I now propose to substitute C. crenulata. 



Coprosma lanceolaris F. Muell. 

 Coprosma lanceolaris F. Muell., Fragm. Phytogr. Austr. ix, 70, 1875. 



Recorded : F. Muell., I.e. ; Hemsley, Ann. Bot. x, 239, 1896. 

 Habitat : Scrub at base of Mount Gower, and in moss forest on summit. 

 Distribution : Endemic. Very similar to C. foetidissima Forst. of New 

 Zealand. 



