Flora of New Zealand Series

Characters of the family.

The N.Z. spp. are still imperfectly understood, though Oliver (Rec. Dom. Mus. Wellington 1, 1942, 21-43) has made a valuable contribution towards clearing up the complex. His treatment is largely followed here. In T.N.Z.I. 53, 1921, 362, under C. ruscifolia L., he states: "The South American forms cannot be distinguished as a species from those of New Zealand and Polynesia." Examination of specimens in K led me to support this view, at least as far as vegetative characters go. Specimens from Peru especially, whence the type material was obtained, closely resemble N.Z. forms. In his later paper (Rec. Dom. Mus. Wellington 1, 1942, 33-34) he does not admit C. ruscifolia to the N.Z. flora "on account of the N.Z. form differing in its longer, more densely-crowded racemes, which are never terminal, and broader leaves."

Oliver (loc. cit. 31) states: "C. sarmentosa was first collected by J. R. and G. Forster during Cook's second voyage to New Zealand. In G. Forster's first description he describes it as 'procumbens diffusa' (Fl. Ins. Austr. Prodr., 1786, p. 71), but in his later published Plantae Esculentae (1786, p. 46) the stem is described as 'fruticosus, vix arborescens', and Dusky Bay is mentioned as the locality. Evidently, therefore, the Forsters collected both C. sarmentosa and C. arborea, the latter probably from both Dusky Sound and Queen Charlotte; but as their first description covers only the semi-herbaceous plant the name sarmentosa may be safely appropriated to that species and Dusky Sound fixed as the type locality." But in the Prodromus (subsequent to the De Plantis Esculentis) Forster merely repeats the short diagnosis of the earlier work: "procumbens diffusa, foliis cordato-ovatis acuminatis integerrimis quinquenerviis, subpetiolatis: racemis axillaribus elongatis nutantibus." He does not, in this case, follow his usual practice of citing the Pl. Esc. The detailed account in the earlier work includes: "Habitat sponte in fruticetis et dumetis Novae Zeelandiae . . . Caulis fruticosus, vix arborescens, diffusus ramosissimus, sarmentis elongatis decumbentibus."

The much-branched shrub form, up to c. 3 m. tall, is abundant on stream deltas in Dusky and other Fiordland Sounds. I follow Oliver's treatment for convenience, but fear that his action will not be sustained if the Forsterian material is adequate for a decision to be made.

The Maori name tutu (tupakihi in some districts) seems to have been used for many or most representatives of the genus.