Flora of New Zealand Series

Evergreen shrub up to c. 3 m high; stems spreading and often somewhat arching; young shoots pale buff-tomentose, later becoming dark reddish brown. Lvs distributed along stems or in fascicles; petiole 2-4 mm long; blade elliptic to ovate, (15)-20-35-(45) × 7-18-(25) mm, subcoriaceous, acute and often short-mucronate, cuneate at base, ± shining and finely pilose with impressed veins above, usually with white to grey woolly tomentum (rarely pale buff) below, the tomentum persistent; margins slightly recurved and sometimes slightly sinuate; stipules ± linear-subulate, pilose. Fls (4)-7-15, in corymbs scattered along branches; peduncles short, tomentose. Sepals 1.5-2 mm long, ± triangular, buff-tomentose; apex sharply acute. Petals ± erect, 2.5-5 mm long, obovate, pinkish. Fr. ± ellipsoid, oblong-obovoid, obovoid, or subglobose, 5-9 mm long, scarlet or orange-scarlet.

N.: N. Auckland (Hokianga Harbour, Auckland City), Gisborne, Wellington (Mt Bruce and Hutt Valley); S.: Westland (Greymouth, Jacksons), Canterbury (Canterbury Plains, Banks Peninsula, Alford Forest), Otago (Roxburgh), Southland (Tapanui).

China 1958

Roadsides, scrub, streambanks and forest margins up to c. 300 m.

FL Nov-Jan.

Wild N.Z. plants of C. franchetii are variable, particularly in respect to the shape of the frs, and the shape, apex and indumentum of the lvs. This variation probably results from more than one introduction because it seems to encompass the more recently introduced var. sternianus Turrill, [ see, Bot. Mag. n.s. t. 130 (1950)], commonly known as C. wardii in N.Z. and elsewhere. True C. wardii W. Smith is a closely related sp. probably not in cultivation here or elsewhere. Var. sternianus has frs obovoid to subglobose as opposed to ± ellipsoid or oblong-obovoid as in var. franchetii, but it is probably impossible to separate the 2 vars here. Rehder and some other authorities give the fr. shape of C. franchetii as ovoid but this is presumably a mistake for obovoid.