394 PLANTS OF NEW ZEALAND 



different plants ; and vary little in different species. In their 

 insignificance, their protruding stamens with pendulous 

 anthers, and dust-like pollen flying in clouds, they are 

 typical of wind-pollinated plants. Insects are seldom seen on 

 the flowers, though, according to Mr. Cheeseman," a small fly 

 visits the male flowers of C. propinqua, possibly to feed on the 

 pollen, but, as it is never seen on the female flowers, it can be 

 of no use in the work of pollination. The styles are long and 

 projecting, and are covered with stigmatic protuberances, 

 which are well calculated to catch the wind-blown pollen. 



Fruit. 



The fruit is a berry, containing generally two plano-convex 

 seeds. It may be of various colours, and is often very pretty. 

 The pale-blue translucent fruits of C. acerosa, var, hrunnea, 

 are very attractive, and are often eaten by children. In C. 

 spathulata the drupe is black, in C. lucida — as already stated — 

 orange-red, in other species (e.g. C. Cunninghamii) it is 

 colourless and translucent, in C. rhamnoides the immature 

 fruit is bright-red, and finally becomes black. In C. ohconica 

 it is yellowish white, and broader than it is long : thus the 

 characters of the fruits are valuable, in discriminating the 

 species. The flowers throughout the genus are useless for this 

 purpose, as they are so much alike. 



Copposma grand if olia {The Large-leaved Coprosma). 



A shrub, 6 ft. -16 ft. in height. Leaves 4 in. -8 in. long, l^in.-Sin. broad,, 

 acute, membranous, not shining. Flowers in terminal or lateral fascicles, 

 sessile, green. Calyx minute ; corolla narrow, funnel-shaped or tubular. Drupe 

 Jin. long, orange-red. North Cape to Buller River. FI. April to June. Maori 

 name, Raitrekau. 



Coprosma lucida {The Karamu). 



Glossy-leaved, except in var. obovata, 2 ft. -15 ft. in height. Leaves 2 in. -5 in. 

 long, oblong, acute, coriaceous. Calyx 4-5-toothed. Corolla 4-5-lobed ; stamens 

 4 or 5. Styles very long, slender. Drupe J in. long, orange-red. Both islands. 

 Fl. Sept.-Nov. 



*Trans. XIX., p. 225. 



