Flora of New Zealand Series

C. integrifolia Forst. f. Prodr. 1786, 42 non L. Sp. Pl. 1753, 1544.

C. indivisa Willd. Sp. Pl. 2, 1800, 1291.

Liane with main stems high-climbing, up to 10 cm. diam. or more at base, branching; branchlets stout, glab., grooved. Lvs 3-foliolate, on petioles c. 4 cm. × 2 mm. Lflts on stout petiolules c. 1-2 cm. long, dark green, coriac., glab., broadly ovate, cordate to truncate at base, to broad-oblong; (2.5)-5-10 × (1·5)-3-5 cm., entire to crenately toothed or lobed at apex. Subfloral lvs smaller. Infl. of axillary, us. ample, panicles; bracts ovate-acuminate, lower ones often foliaceous, petiolate, trifoliolate; pedicels rather stout, up to 4 cm. long, ± pubescent. Fls fragrant. ♂ 5-10 cm. diam. Sepals white, spathulate to obovate or oblong, c. 4 × 1 cm., glab. Stamens ∞, filaments 1-1·5 cm. long, anthers c. 2 mm. long, narrow-oblong, obtuse. ♀ with smaller sepals; stamens few, us. abortive; achenes ∞, pubescent, c. 2 mm. long; style plumose, 3-5 cm. long.

DIST.: Three Kings, N., S., St. Common in lowland and lower montane forests throughout, especially marginally.

FL. 8-11. FT. 10-1. Puawhananga.

HETEROBLASTY: Seedlings and young juveniles have simple narrow-linear to narrow-lanceolate lvs up to 15 cm. long. These are us. succeeded by trifoliolate lvs, the lflts also linear; these again by deeply lobed lflts, gradually passing into the adult form. Flowering may commence before the truly adult stage is reached. Kirk (Stud. Fl. 1899, 2) distinguished: var. lobulata -lflts toothed or lobulate. Fls smaller; var. decomposita ―lflts 2-ternate; var. linearis ―lflts narrow-linear, entire or with 2 lateral lobes at base. He adds that decomposita and linearis should "perhaps be considered as temporary states" and that linearis "occasionally passes into decomposita and that again into the typical form". Cheeseman (T.N.Z.I. 46, 1914, 1) grew seedlings of the linear-leaved stage. The plants grew rapidly, the succeeding lvs passing through the stages (1) trifoliolate with linear lflts (2) lflts much cut and lobed (3) lvs of adult form. Within 12 months flowering was abundant.