Flora of New Zealand Series

Erect to depressed bushy shrub up to ± 1 m. tall; branches stout, spreading, with white bark falling in flakes; branchlets rather stout, glab. Lvs on winged petioles 10-15 mm. long. Stipules broadly triangular to subtruncate, ± glab.; denticles prominent, us. several. Lamina thick, coriac., dark green, ± rugulose above, paler below, subrotund to broad-obovate or obovate-oblong; apex rounded to subtruncate, mucronate; ± 40-70 × 25-40 mm.; margins cartilaginous, crenulate-serrulate. Reticulated veins evident on both surfaces. ♂ several together on very short axillary peduncles; calyx 0; corolla subcampanulate, lobes 4-5, oblong-triangular, acuminate, ciliolate; stamens 4-6. ♀ solitary on short axillary peduncles; calyx truncate, teeth 2; corolla tubular, lobes narrow-triangular, acute to subacuminate, < tube. Drupe red, broad-oblong, 7-8 mm. long.

DIST.: S. Montane to lower subalpine forest, shrubland, grassland, herbfield from c. lat. 41º southwards. Oliver (loc. cit. 103) selects as type a specimen in W, "Nelson, west coast, Hector".

Oliver (loc. cit. 103) observes: "There are noticeable differences in the shape of the leaves, some being oblong with obtuse apex, others almost orbicular with truncate apex. The same branch may bear leaves of different shapes. Some specimens with small leaves, 25 mm. long and under, come from Clinton Saddle."