Flora of New Zealand Series

Suttonia australis A. Rich. Essai Fl. N.Z. 1832, 349, t. 38.

M. urvillei A. DC. in Trans. Linn. Soc. Lond. 17, 1834, 105.

Rapanea australis (A. Rich.) W. R. B. Oliver in Rec. Auck. Inst. Mus 4, 1951, 112.

Type locality: Akaroa. Type: P, M. Hombron, 1841.

Shrub or tree up to ± 6 m. tall; bark dark, red on younger branches and on branchlets. Lvs on rather stout petioles up to ± 5 mm. long. Lamina ± 3-6 × 1·5-2.5 cm., coriac., glab. except on midvein, oblong to obovate-oblong to broad-elliptic, obtuse; margins us. strongly undulate, flat or nearly so in some forms. Infl. of ± crowded fascicles. Fls. c. 1·5-2.5 mm. diam., whitish, unisexual, on short pedicels. Calyx-lobes 4 or obsolete, persistent. Petals 4, free, revolute; ♂ with 4 stamens, anthers large, ovary vestigial; ♀ with sterile anthers; stigma ± sessile, fimbriate. Fr. c. 2-3 mm. diam., dark brown to black when mature.

DIST.: N., S., St. Lowland to montane forest, especially marginal, and shrubland, throughout, ± local. Mapau.

FL. 1-4. FT. 10-2.

Individual plants are us. ± uniform as to the degree of undulation of the lamina and the degree of red colour in the lvs and branchlets.