Flora of New Zealand Series

Shrub to 1 m high, clump-forming with ± erect habit, strongly suckering, glabrous except infl. Young shoots reddish or reddish purple. Lvs 8-25 × 2-7 mm, narrow to broad-elliptic, ovate or ovate-lanceolate, coriaceous, shining above; midrib raised beneath; margin ± recurved, entire or serrulate; apex with a spiny mucro. Fls solitary in upper lf axils. Pedicels 6-8 mm long, minutely puberulent, curved towards apex. Bracts and bracteoles 1-1.5 mm long, ovate, glabrous. Calyx 2-2.5 mm long; lobes ovate or triangular, glabrous, acute, not accrescent, remaining membranous. Corolla 3.5-5 mm long, broad-ovoid, ± urceolate, white; lobes short, recurved. Stamens with filaments broadly dilated at base, minutely puberulent; anthers with 2 short erect awns, minutely puberulent. Fr. a berry 6-10 mm diam., depressed-globose, usually pink, sometimes white, glossy.

S.: Bluecliffs (St Andrews, S. Canterbury), Palmerston (Otago).

Chile 1958

Waste areas dominated by scrub.

FL Sep-Feb.

This freely suckering shrub sometimes causes concern in gardens and probably mainly spreads vegetatively.