Flora of New Zealand Series

Type locality: Akaroa, "ad sylvarum margines". Type: P?

Shrub or tree up to 6 m. tall; branches and branchlets spreading, stout, glab. Lvs opp. on rather stout petioles ± 10-20 mm. long. Stipules connate towards base, obtuse, glab., crowned by 1-2 prominent sharp denticles. Lamina coriac., dullish dark green above, paler below, glab.; elliptic to elliptic-oblong to broad-ovate, acute or obtuse, ± mucronate, gradually narrowed to petiole, ± 7-12 × 3-4-(5) cm.; reticulated veins us. conspicuous on both surfaces. ♂ in axillary many-fld glomerules on short peduncles, glomerules again divided into dense clusters. Calyx-teeth minute; corolla subcampanulate, lobes triangular, acute, < tube. ♀ in compound clusters on trichotomously branched axillary peduncles 10-15 mm. long. Calyx minute, truncate, sts with 1-2 teeth; corolla c. 5 mm. long, narrow-funnelform, lobes acute or obtuse, oblong-triangular, < tube. Drupe dark orange to yellow, oblong to narrow-ovoid, 8-9 × 4-5 mm.

DIST.: Three Kings, N., S., Ch. Forest, shrubland, especially on alluvial soils, to c. lat. 45º 30'. Apparently local in Ch. Karamu.

C. coffaeoides Col. in T.N.Z.I. 21, 1889, 87 was described at length from specimens collected on "Edges of woods and margins of streamlets south of Dannevirke . . . 1888: W. C." Points in the description are: "Leaves decussate . . . oblong inclining to obovate-lanceolate . . . margins entire, but slightly and closely serrulate (sub lente), generally of two sizes?(1) large on main branches, 31/2 in. - 41/2 in. long, 2 in. broad, petioles 1/2 in., stoutish; (2) smaller, on axillary branchlets . . . Stipules large, deltoid-acuminate, 1/4 in. long; tips thickened, hard, acute, black . . . Drupe glossy, 3-31/2 lines long, broadly ovoid, sub-compressed . . . when quite ripe oblong-margin nearly even", and for ♀ "calyx 0". He adds, "Specimens of the male plant have been seen carrying female flowers at top of branchlet." Oliver (loc. cit. 111) cites the type as being in W. Not seen by me.