258 RUBIACES, [ Coprosma. 
28. C. propinqua, A. Cunn. Precur. n. 472.—A large branching 
shrub or small tree 6-20 ft. high; branches widely divaricating, 
young ones puberulous; bark brown or brownish-grey. Leaves 
opposite, or i Bpposiic fascicles on short arrested branchlets, 
++ in. long, ;4—1n. wide, linear or narrow linear-oblong or narrow 
linear: obovate, obtuse or subacute, gradually narrowed into a very 
short petiole or sessile, rather coriaceous ; veins obscure. Flowers 
solitary or in 2~4-flowered fascicles, each fascicle invested by a 
4-toothed cupuliform involucre, and each flower involucellate. 
Males: Calyx wanting. Corolla 4in. long, campanulate, 4-5- 
partite. Females: Calyx-limb 4-toothed. Corolla +in. long, 
tubular, 3-4-lobed. Drupe +4in. long, globose or broadly oblong, 
bluish or bluish-black or quite black.—Raoul, Choix, 46; Hook. f. 
fl. Nov. Zel. i. 109; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 116; Cheesem. in Trans. 
N.Z. Inst. xix. (1887 ) 245 ; Kirk, Students’ Fi. 241. C. alba, Col. 
im Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxiv. (1892) 388. 
NortH AnD SoutH IsnAnDs, STEWART IsLAND, CHATHAM ISLANDS: 
Abundant throughout in swampy forests or by the side of rivers, &c. Sea- 
level to 1500 ft. Mingimingi. September—October. 
Allied to C. Cunninghamii, but distinguished by the more spreading habit, 
dark bark, smaller narrower leaves, smaller and fewer flowers, and by the drupe 
not being white and translucent. 
29. C. Kirkii, Cheesem. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxix. (1897) 391.— 
A much and closely branched procumbent or suberect shrub, often 
forming rounded inasses 2-4 ft. high and the same in diam. ; rarely 
taller, erect, and loosely spreading. Branches stout, often inter- 
laced; branchlets obscurely tetragonous, usually more or less 
clothed with short greyish pubescence, rarely almost glabrous. 
Leaves opposite or in opposite fascicles, 4-lin. long, linear or 
narrow linear-oblong or narrow linear-obovate, obtuse or subacute, 
gradually narrowed into a very short petiole, flat, coriaceous or 
almost membranous; midrib evident below; lateral veins usu- 
ally indistinct. Stipules very short, broad, ciliate. Flowers in 
3—6-flowered fascicles on short arrested branchlets, rarely solitary. 
Males: Calyx wanting. Corolla 4in. long, broadly campanulate, 
4—5-partite. Females smaller and narrower. Calyx-limb minutely 
4-toothed. Corolla funnel-shaped, deeply 4-lobed. Drupe (im- 
mature) 4in. long, oblong.—Kirk, Students’ Fl. 241. Plagianthus 
linariifolia, Buch. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xvi. (1884) 394, t. 34, f. 1. 
Nort Istanp: Auckland—Tapotopoto Bay, Kirk! coast between Spirits 
Bay and the North Cape, 7. F.C.; near Ahipara, R. H. Matthews! T. F.C. ; 
South Head of Hokianga Harbour, Kirk! Taranaki—Near Opunake, Kirk ! 
Hawke’s Bay—Portland Island, Bishop Williams ! 
It is possible that more species than one may be included in the above 
description, but the material at my disposal is insufficient to determine this. 
Mr. Kirk’s original specimens from Tapotopoto Bay are from a procumbent 
shrub with closely placed fascicled leaves and pubescent branchlets, and my 
own, from near the North Cape, agree in habit and the pubescent branches, but 
have larger spreading leaves. The Ahipara plant is erect, with lax almost 
