868 RUBIACEAE. [Coprosma. 
24. C. erassifolia Col. in Tasm. Journ. Nat. Sci. 1 (1846) 289.— 
A much-branched rigid shrub 4—12 ft. high ; branches divaricating, exces- 
sively stiff and rigid, often interlaced; branchlets glabrous or minutely 
puberulous ; bark reddish-brown or greyish-brown, uneven and fissured on 
the branches, smoother on the twigs. Leaves $41. long, rarely more, 
broadly oblong or obovate to orbicular, rounded at the tip or retuse, 
abruptly narrowed into a very short petiole, usually thick and coriaceous, 
often glaucous beneath; margins thickened; veins obscure. Flowers 
involucellate, solitary or more rarely in 2-3-flowered fascicles. Male 
flowers: Calyx wanting. Corolla 4in. long, campanulate, 4-partite 
almost to the base. Stamens 4. Female flowers: Calyx-limb minute, 
truncate or obsoletely toothed. Corolla tubular, $-+ in. long, deeply 4-lobed. 
Drupe + in. long, subglobose or broadly oblong, yellow, sometimes white and 
translucent.—Cheesem. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xix (1887) 242; T. Kirk 
Students’ Fl. (1899) 288; Cheesem. Man. N.Z. Fl. (1906) 255. C. pendula 
Col. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxi (1889) 84. 
Nortu anp Soutu Istanps: From Hokianga southwards to Otago, but often local. 
Sea-level to 1200 ft. Septem ber—November. 
Best distinguished by the excessively stiff and rigid habit, almost glabrous 
branchlets, rounded coriaceous leaves, and subglobose yellow fruit. Mr. Colenso’s 
C. pendula has much thinner leaves, but is not otherwise different. It is perhaps worth 
mention that Mr. Colenso’s original locality for C. crassifolia, as given in the Tasmanian 
Journal of Science, is at the head of the Manukau Harbour, on “ Scoria, and rocky 
spots ’—in other words, the locality at present known as Penrose. A few specimens 
can still be observed there. 
25. O. rigida Cheesem. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xix (1887) 243.—An erect 
shrub 5-15 ft. high; branches divaricating, stout or slender, open or much 
interlaced, glabrous or the very young twigs puberulous; bark reddish- 
or purplish-brown. Leaves in opposite pairs on short lateral branchlets, 
1-3in. long, obovate or oblong-spathulate, rounded or retuse, gradually 
narrowed into a short petiole, coriaceous or almost membranous, quite 
glabrous; veins obscure. Stipules deltoid, glabrous. Flowers involu- 
cellate, solitary or in 2-4-flowered fascicles. Male flowers: Calyx wanting. 
Corolla in. long, campanulate, 4-5-partite. Female flowers: Calyx-limb 
minutely 4-5-toothed. Corolla tubular, $-+in., deeply 3-5-lobed. Drupe 
1-1in. long, oblong or obovoid, yellow.—T7. Kirk Students’ Fl. (1899) 239 ; 
Cheesem. Man. N.Z. Fl. (1906) 255. C. divaricata Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. 
i (1853) 107 (in part) (not of A. Cunn.). C. aurantiaca Col. in Trans. N.Z. 
Inst. xxii (1890) 464. C. lentissima Col. l.c. xxiv (1890) 465. C. turbinata 
Col. lc. (1892) 389. | 
NortH AnD SoutH Isnanps: Not uncommon in swampy lowland forests. 
Septem ber—October. 
Very close to C. crassifolia, but not so rigid, the leaves narrower and less coria- 
ceous, and the drupe narrower. In Mr. Colenso’s herbarium there are numerous 
specimens of his three species quoted above. There can be no doubt whatever that 
they represent common states of C. rigida, and cannot be separated even as varieties. 
26. C. obeonica 7. Kirk Students’ FI. (1899) 237.—An erect shrub 
4-5 ft. high or more; bark pale; branches numerous, spreading, inter- 
laced, younger ones pubescent or puberulous. Leaves }-} in. long, 4-7 ™. 
broad, oblong or linear-oblong, obtuse or minutely apiculate, ‘sessile or 
very shortly petiolate, coriaceous, glabrous; margins thickened, recurved ; 
veins obscure. Flowers solitary or geminate, terminating short arrested 
