268 Transactions. — Botany. 



Nat. Ord. Eubiace^. 

 The chief genus of this very large order in New Zealand is Cojn-osjna, of 

 which over twenty-five species have been described in these islands. As is 

 remarked in the "Handbook of the N.Z. Flora," "the species are most 

 difficult of discrimination, owing to their extreme variability, their being 

 dioecious, and their very small flowers." These latter points constitute, to 

 my mind, a much greater difficulty than the former, for I think it will be 

 found, after examination of a large series of specimens, that most of the 

 forms are tolerably distinct and well-defined. The genus may be divided 

 into two sections, in one of which the female flowers are collected into 

 clusters, and in the other they are solitary. In the former they are, of 

 course, more conspicuous than in the latter, but there seems no doubt that 

 in both forms they are solely dependent on the wind for fertilization. They 

 are dingy-green in colour, small, and quite destitute of scent or of honey. 

 The male flowers have four stamens, the anthers of which dangle at the 

 extremity of very slender, easily shaken, long filaments. The pollen is also 

 extremely light and powdery, and the whole of it escapes on the dehiscing 

 of the anther. The female flowers have a much smaller calyx and corolla 

 than the male, these parts being reduced to the minimum size consistent 

 with their function of covering the pistil while it is still immature. The 

 ovaries are very small, but the styles are proportionally of immense size, 

 and stigmatic over their whole length. Some idea of this may be gained 

 from the drawings in Plate I., where figure 1 represents the female 

 flower of C. projnnqua, and figure 2 that of C. rotundifolia (both magnified). 

 I have examined the flowers of fourteen species growing in this neighbour- 

 hood, and find that all possess the same character. The brightly-coloured 

 drupes of these plants must aid greatly in their dispersion, as they are 

 eaten and passed by birds. It would be interesting to ascertain what 

 advantage is gained by the possession of the intensely foetid odour which is 

 so characteristic of some species. 



The genus Nertera differs from Coprosma not only in its herbaceous 

 habit, but — in the New Zealand species at least — in having hermaphrodite 

 flowers. These are, however, perfectly dioecious in function. I have 

 examined the flowers of three out of the four New Zealand species, viz., IV". 

 depressa, N. dichondrcefoUa and N. setulosa. All are very decidedly pro- 

 terogynous, the stigmas being expanded fuJly whfle the stamens lie in the 

 flower, and withering completely before the anthers dehisce. They must, 

 therefore, be always cross-fertilized, and as the flowers agree in all respects 

 (but that already mentioned) with those of Copromia, they are also probably 

 anemophilous. 



The flowers of Galium umhrosiim. and Asperula perpusilla are very small, 



