Flora of New Zealand Series

Coccoloba australis Forst. f. Prodr. 1786, 29.

Polygonum australe A. Rich. Essai Fl. N.Z. 1832, 178.

M. adpressa Hook. f. Handbk N.Z. Fl. 1864, 234 non Meissn. loc. cit.

Dioec., stout liane up to 10 m. tall, much-branched, branches ± interlacing (forming tangled masses in absence of support). Main stem up to 10 cm. diam.; branchlets slender, terete, ± grooved, glab. or nearly so; bark grey. Lvs on stiff petioles up to 25 mm. long. Lamina 2-8 × 1-3 cm., membr., glab.; dark green above, paler below; broad-ovate to broad-oblong, sts subpanduriform to 3-lobed (all forms may be on same plant); margins ± undulate. Ochreae deciduous ± 4-5 mm. long. Panicles up to 15 × 10 cm., lfy below, axillary and terminal, of clusters of bracted racemes up to ± 5 cm. long. Fls ± 4-5 mm. diam., tepals greenish ± 5 mm. long, cut halfway to base. ♂ with 8 stamens and rud. ovary. ♀ with 8 staminodes; stigmas broad, fimbriate. Fr. invested by dry or subsucculent persistent per., black, glossy, trigonous, ± 3·5 mm. long, 3-grooved; angles ± undulate.

DIST.: Three Kings, N., S., St., Ch. Lowland to montane forests, especially marginal, throughout.

Also in Norfolk Id, related to M. adpressa of Australia.

FL.- FT. 11-4-(6).

I have not seen Forsterian specimens. His description is merely: "foliis cordato-ovatis acutis, floribus polygamis". The diversity of form is small compared with that of M. complexa.