PLATE 83.—COPROSMA FATIDISSIMA. 
Famity RUBIACE. |] [Genus COPROSMA, Forst. 
Coprosma feetidissima, Forst. Char. Gen. 135; Cheesem. Man. N.Z. Fl. 259. 
This well-known species was one of those collected by the two Forsters in 
Queen Charlotte Sound in the year 1773 during Cook’s second visit to New 
Zealand. Its discoverers recognized the distinct nature of the plant, and 
within a year after the return of the expedition it was described in their 
“Characteres Generum Plantarum” as the type of a genus to which they gave 
the very expressive name of Coprosma. Curiously enough, it was not again 
collected until 1840, when Sir J. D. Hooker observed it in considerable abundance 
in the Auckland Islands. In the following year, however, it was gathered by 
Mr. Colenso in the East Cape district ; and since then has been noticed by all 
those who have paid any serious attention to the flora of New Zealand. Its 
northern limit is on Moehau Mountain, in the Cape Colville Peninsula, from whence 
it stretches southwards in hilly or mountain forests to Cook Strait. In the South 
Island it is abundant in most forest districts, often forming a considerable pro- 
portion of the undergrowth, and this also is the case on Stewart Island. 
Coprosma fetidissima usually forms a slender sparingly branched shrub 6 ft. 
to 15 ft. in height ; but occasionally it attains a greater size, and on the Auckland 
Islands, according to Hooker, it sometimes reaches a height of 20 ft., with a trunk 
13 ft. in diameter. It is chiefly remarkable for the horribly disgusting odour which 
it gives off when bruised or while drying. Sir J. D. Hooker, in the “ Flora 
Antarctica,” states that when in the Auckland Islands he ‘“ brought on board 
the ‘ Erebus’ specimens of this with other plants, late one evening, and finding 
that there were more tender species, which took a considerable time to lay in 
paper, than I could well get through that night, I locked this Coprosma in a 
small close cabin until I should have leisure to press it, but before half an 
hour had elapsed the smell was intolerable and had pervaded the whole of the 
lower deck.” Every one who has attempted to dry specimens of the plant 
will recognize that this account is not overdrawn. 
The nearest ally of C. fetidissima is undoubtedly C. Colensor; but that is 
a much smaller plant, seldom more than 6 ft. in height, with very much smaller 
leaves, and with the flowers usually borne on short decurved peduncles. It 
adso lacks the disagreeable smell of C. fatedissima. 
Pate 83. Coprosma fetidissima, male and female, drawn from specimens collected on the Mount 
Arthur Plateau, Nelson, at an altitude of 4,000 ft. Fig. 1, male flower (x 3); 2, female flower (x 3) ; 
3, longitudinal section of female flower, showing sterile stamens (x 3); 4 and 5, front and back view 
of anthers (x 4); 6, section of fruit (x 2); 7, pyrene (x 3); 8, section of pyrene (x 3). 
