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pig Te eT ee 
870 RUBIACEAE. [Coprosma. 
99. C. acerosa A. Cunn. Precur. (1838) n. 477.—A low often excessively 
branched prostrate or suberect wide-spreading shrub 1-5ft. high ; branches 
straight or flexuous or zigzag, often closely interlaced, younger ones puberu- 
lous; bark yellowish-brown, often fissured and uneven. Leaves in close 
or distant opposite pairs or fascicles, }-3in. long, about 9% in. wide, erecto- 
patent, very uniform in shape, narrow-linear, obtuse or subacute, veinless. 
Flowers axillary, terminating minute arrested branchlets, involucellate. 
Male flowers : Solitary or in 2-4-flowered fascicles. Calyx wanting. Corolla 
lin. long, campanulate, 4-partite to below the middle. Stamens 4, 
Female flowers solitary. Calyx-limb minutely 4-toothed. Corolla #5 1n. 
‘long, tubular, 4-lobed. Drupe globose, variable in size, ¢—41n., pale-blue, 
translucent.—Raoul Choix (1846) 46; Hook. f. #£l. Nov. Zel. 1 (1853) 109; 
Handb. N.Z. Fl. (1864) 118; Cheesem. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xix (1887) 244 ; 
T. Kirk Siudents’ Fl. (1899) 240; Cheesem. Man. N.Z. Fl. (1906) 257 ; 
Ill. N.Z. Fl. 1 (1914) t. 84. 
Norra AnD SoutH Istanps, CHaTHam IsLtanps, Stewart Istanp: Abundant 
on sand-dunes and sandy beaches from the North Cape southwards. 
Easily recognized by the peculiar scrambling and interlaced habit of growth, very 
narrow-linear leaves, and large globose pale sky-blue berries. It is universally present 
on all sand-dunes of any size. ly | ‘4 
(aK) . 
30. ©. brunnea ,Cockayne in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xn (1911) 374,— 
Closely allied to C. acerosa, but smaller, stouter, and much more sparingly 
branched ; bark dark-brown, often fissured. Branches shorter, divaricating 
or zigzag, stout and rigid. Leaves in distant opposite pairs or fascicles, 
rarely approximate, 4-}in. long, s4 in. broad; obtuse or subacute, narrow- 
linear, shorter and more coriaceous than in C. acerosa. Flowers solitary 
or in 2-3-flowered fascicles. Male corolla }in. long, 4-lobed to below the 
middle ; female corolla yin. long, tubular, 4-lobed. Fruit broadly oblong 
or globose, 4-Lin. long, pale-blue.—C. acerosa var. brunnea T. Kirk 
Students’ Fl. (1899) 241 ; Cheesem. Man. N.Z. Fl. (1906) 257. 
Nort Istanp: Mount Egmont Ranges, 7. F. C.; Tongariro and Ruapehu and 
the adjacent volcanic plateau, Cockayne, T. F. C., Spencer! Ruahine Mountains, 
Colenso! B. C. Aston! Sourtn Istanp, Stewart Isutanp: Not uncommon in 
mountainous districts from Nelson southwards. 2000-5000 ft. August—Septem ber. 
This can only be distinguished from C. acerosa by its smaller size and more rigid 
habit, dark-brown colour, fewer short stout and rigid branches, and shorter and more 
distant coriaceous leaves. It is doubtful whether it is entitled to the rank of a species. 
31. C. rugosa Cheesem. Man. N.Z. Fl. (1906) 1141.—A much and 
densely branched rigid erect shrub 4-10 ft. high; branches stout, divari- 
cating, often interlaced, glabrous or the younger ones puberulous; bark 
fissured and uneven, dark-brown or dark red-brown, of the branchlets 
yellowish-brown. Leaves in opposite pairs or fascicles, }-3in. long, »'5 in. 
broad, narrow-linear or narrow linear-spathulate, subacute or acute, spread- 
ing, veinless, narrowed into a short petiole or sessile ; stipules ciliolate. 
Flowers involucellate, axillary, terminating minute arrested branchlets. 
Male flowers solitary or in 2~3-flowered fascicles ; calyx wanting; corolla 
4 in. long, campanulate, deeply 4-partite, stamens 4. Female flowers solitary 
or rarely two together; calyx-limb 4-toothed; corolla deeply 4-lobed. 
Drupe }-4in. long, broadly oblong or almost globose, pale-blue, almost 
translucent. 
