Fuchsia procumbens R.Cunn.
Type locality: "Around the village of Matauri on the east coast opposite the Cavallos Isles, inhabiting the sands immediately above the range of the tide, where it was found in flower in March." Type: K, R. Cunningham. There are 5 small pieces with ♀.
Trioecious prostrate shrub, sts slightly scandent in presence of low support, or pend. over banks. Stems very slender, up to 5 dm. or more long; branchlets very slender. Lvs on subfiliform petioles up to 15-(30) mm. long; stipules minute, ovate. Lamina membr., 6-12-(15) × 7-10-(12) mm., suborbicular to broad-ovate, subcordate; margins sinuate to subserrulate, ± pubescent, as are main veins. Fls erect ± 12-20 mm. long, on peduncles up to 12 mm. long. Hypanthium dark red to purple, tubular-campanulate, glab., 7-8 mm. long. Sepals sharply reflexed, purplish at tips, narrow-lanceolate, ± 6 mm. long; petals 0; staminal filaments slender; receptive stigmas ± 2 mm. diam. Berry ovoid-oblong to obovoid, ± 20 mm. in longest diam., bright red to magenta.
DIST.: N. Sandy, gravelly, or rocky places but little above high-tide mark, sts submerged by exceptionally high tides. Some 20 stations recorded,- ranging from North Cape area to Reef Point on west and north Coromandel Peninsula on east coast (5 on Great Barrier Id).
FL. 12-2. FT. 1-2.
Kirk (T.N.Z.I. 1, 1869, as cited in ed. 2, 1875, 92) has: "Fuchsia [procumbens, R. Cunn., var. ?] Kirkii, H. f., n. s.-A procumbent plant, which is doubtfully referred to this species, has rounded ovate-cordate leaves, on long petioles; flowers [large] erect, 3/4 inch long, axillary; calyx tube bright yellow, with reflexed segments; anthers oblong; ovary ovate; stigma 4-lobed." Hooker (Ic. Pl. 1871, t. 1083) illustrated the sp., the specimens coming from Great Barrier Id. Munz (Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. Ser. 4, 25, 1943, 74) accepts it as of specific rank: "Apparently distinct from F. procumbens in having a shorter wider hypanthium, sepals more oblong and obtuse; style shorter and stigma smaller". The type sheet has 4 pieces, fls in bud. The illustration shows 2 fully open fls, the stigma just below the level of the mouth of the "tube"; the lvs are slightly crenulate. The status is discussed under heteromorphy.
