Flora of New Zealand Series

Spreading shrub or small tree to c. 6 m high; sucker shoots sometimes frequent; stems hairy when young. Lvs long-petiolate. Lamina 9-18 × 7-12 cm, smaller on flowering shoots, usually ovate or oblong-ovate, entire to crenulate, tomentose beneath when young, later the hairs mainly confined to veins, becoming glabrate above; base cuneate on flowering shoots, cordate on vegetative shoots; apex abruptly short-acuminate. Infl. a large terminal panicle of fragrant fls; peduncles and pedicels hairy, reddish. Calyx 1-1.5 cm long at anthesis, slightly hairy at base, ± red, lobed to c. ⅓; segments ovate, sharply keeled, acute. Corolla white; tube c. 1.5 cm long; lobes 8-12 mm long, patent, linear-oblong to oblong. Stamens exserted by 1-2 cm. Frs globose or subglobose, 5-9 mm diam., bright blue, glossy, surrounded by the shining crimson calyx lobes. Seed flattened on 1 side.

N.: Maungatoroto, Kaihu Valley near Dargaville (N. Auckland), Auckland.

China, Japan, Taiwan, Korea 1978

Near old gardens.

FL Dec-Mar.

C. trichotomum is a garden escape which tends to naturalise and often forms small thickets by producing suckers freely when the main plant is injured or killed. It is valued for its fragrant white fls which are followed by porcelain blue frs surrounded by a crimson calyx. The fr. colour is said to distinguish var. trichotomum from var. fargesii (Dode) Rehder which is also cultivated and has a green calyx and paler blue frs. Most plants in cultivation in N.Z. have the characters of var. trichotomum and probably all wild plants belong to this var. also.