420 Transactions. — Botany, 



flowers on slender pedicels J iuch long ; involucres of about six simple 

 membranous obtuse leaves. Fruit, pale, -^ inch long, carpels not rounded 

 at the back. 



South Island : Nelson — Eoto Iti ; Amuri ; Lake Guyon. Canterbury- — 

 Pukunui Creek.— Altitude, 2,000-3,000 feet. 



Specimens without locality or collector's name are in the herbarium of 

 the Colonial Museum. 



This species has been confused by collectors with P. trifoliolata, of 

 which Professor Oliver considers it a variet}'', — an opinion with which I 

 cannot agree, its closest affinity being with P. roughii and F. hydrocotyloides. 

 It is easily recognized in all stages by its pale green shining foliage, and 

 never forms the densely-matted patches so characteristic of P. hydrocoty- 

 loides, from which it is further distinguished by its less coriaceous leaves, 

 proliferous umbels, and pedicellate flowers. It is distinguished from P. 

 roughii by the ternate leaflets, few flowered umbels, fruit shorter than the 

 pedicels, and carpels not rounded at the back. 



A single specimen in my possession has the peduncles branched with a 

 single pedunculate umbel in the fork of each. 



EUBIACE^. 



Coprosma arborea. 



A tree 20-25 feet high ; trunk 8-12 inches in diameter ; wood 

 yellow ; branches ascending ; leaves ovate-spathulate, coriaceous, red- 

 dish below, gradually narrowed into a winged petiole shorter than the 

 blade, veins distinct. Male flowers densely capitate, sessile, axillary or 

 terminal ; calyx narrow, deeply 4-5-cleft, minutely ciliated ; corolla beU- 

 shaped, 4-5-cleft ; lobes broad, obtuse. Female flowers in 4-5-flowered 

 fascicles ; calyx 4-5-lobed, lobes obtuse, minutely ciliated ; coroUa 4-5- 

 partite nearly to the base ; lobes hgulate, spreading ; styles slender, short. 

 Fruit crowded ; globoso-ovoid, with obscure traces of the calyx limb at the 

 apex, white, translucent. 



North Island. — From Mongonui southwards to the head of the Hauraki 

 Gulf. Abundant on Waiheke Island. 



In the " Handbook of the N.Z. Flora " this species is confused with C. 

 spathulata * to which it is closely allied, and from which it is distinguished 



* I append an amended description of C. spathulata, A. Cunn. A sparingly-branched 

 shrub 2—6 feet high ; branches spreading or straggling ; leaves distant, orbicular. 

 spathulata, emarginate or obcordate, abruptly narrowed into the winged petiole, blade 

 longer or shorter than the petiole, coriaceous, veins obscure. Male flowers in 2-3- 

 flowered fascicles ; calyx 4-5-lobed; coroUa funnel-shaped, 4-5-partite divided for about 

 half its length ; lobes narrow. Female — calyx bell-shaped, 4-5-cleft ; corolla 4— 5-partite' 

 divided for less than half its length ; segments narrow; style i-f inch long. Fruit ovoid, 

 Bolitai-y, shortly peduncletl, black, shining, crowned by the limb of the calyx. 



