Flora of New Zealand Series

Type locality: "Dense forests at Wangaroa &c." Type: K, R. Cunningham.

Cunningham's description is: "foliis absque petiolis (vix semiuncialibus) longe petiolatis subrotundis rhomboideisve obtusis integerrimis vel parum dentatis basi subcordatis simplicibusve, floribus axillaribus subsolitariis, ramulis tenuiter virgatis strigoso-pubescentibus."

Slenderly much-branched shrub up to 4 dm. or more tall; branchlets ascending, pubescent, brownish red. Lvs on slender, flattened, pubescent petioles up to 10 mm. long. Lamina light green above, paler below, submembr., ± red-flecked; of 2 main dimensions on different plants. ((a) 5-10 × 5-10 mm.; (b) 17-20 × 15 mm.; subrotund, base rounded to truncate or subcordate. Margins entire to faintly sinuate, sts with a few very minute teeth. Infl. axillary or terminal, of solitary fls or 2-3 together. Berry subglobose, 5-6 mm. diam., bright red.

DIST.: Lowland forests from lat. 35º to 37º.

FL.- FT. 2-3.

I have seen only fragments of fls, but the lvs of the type form (not > 10×10 mm.) are quite distinct from those of any other sp., although Hooker, again followed by Kirk and Cheeseman, places the name as an absolute synonym of A. banksii. Possibly A. banksii and A. palaeiformis hybridize.