Flora of New Zealand Series

Monoecious herb. Lvs (1)-2-6-(9) cm long; lamina very variable in shape, usually broadly ovate or orbicular, shallowly to deeply cordate, not lobed or shallowly to deeply lobed, coarsely dentate or crenate, subcoriaceous, usually hairy. Infl. with ♂ fls above ♀. Infructescence usually hidden among lvs, sometimes partly exposed. Drupes spaced along stalk or clustered, barrel-shaped, white, often flecked with purple or red, or very rarely (probably hybrids) entirely orange or red; seed free within fleshy envelope.

N.; S.; St.; Ch.

Endemic.

Lowland to low-alpine damp banks and road cuttings, riverbeds, streambanks, and grassland.

This sp. is somewhat variable in lf shape and fr. colour. Allan (1961) accepted G. albocarpa (Kirk) Cockayne, G. mixta Kirk, and G. strigosa Colenso as distinct spp. G. albocarpa does not differ from typical G. monoica and is treated here as a synonym. G. mixta is based on hybrids between G. monoica and G. prorepens; these are not infrequent where the 2 spp. co-occur and are intermediate in all main characters - the frs are orange when mature but often do not contain good seeds. G. strigosa is probably based on hybrids with G. dentata. The fr. of G. monoica is generally white or flecked red or purple; plants with entirely red or orange frs are most probably hybrids.