Flora of New Zealand Series

R. australis var. schmidelioides (A. Cunn.) Hook. f. Fl. N.Z. 1, 1852, 53.

R. cissoides var. coloratus Kirk Stud. Fl. 1899, 126.

Type locality: "Forests at Wangaroa". Type: K, A. Cunningham, 1826.

Liane, dioec., with stout climbing stems up to c. 10 m. long, or forming bushes with interlacing branchlets when lacking support; branchlets with red prickles or unarmed. Lvs ternate (occ. 3-lobed only) rarely quinate with a pair of small basal lflts. Lflts ovate to oval, or lanceolate to broad-elliptic, coriac., glabrate and ± rugose above, densely clad in ferruginous to greyish tomentum below, subacute to acute or acuminate, bluntly serrate, rounded to subcordate at base; stipules linear; veins prominent below, midrib unarmed or nearly so, lamina 15-35 × 2-6 cm., with petiole up to 5 cm. long. Fls in panicles up to 10 cm. long, occ. reduced to racemes; sepals ovate-oblong to broad-ovate, 2-6 mm. long, pubescent; petals 5, white, c. 4-7 mm. long, ovate to broad-ovate; ♂ with ∞ stamens; ♀ with ∞ carpels; fr. c. 5-7 mm. long, of ∞ aggregated drupelets, flesh yellowish.

DIST.: N., S., St. In lowland forests.

FL. 9-11. FT. 10-2.