Flora of New Zealand Series

Suttonia divaricata (A. Cunn.) Hook. f. Fl. Antarct. 1, 1844, 51, t. 34.

M. pendula Col. in T.N.Z.I. 21, 1889, 94.

Rapanea divaricata (A. Cunn.) W. R. B. Oliver loc. cit. 4, 1951, 112.

Type locality: "head of the Wycaddy river, Bay of Islands, 1834, R. Cunningham."

Shrub up to ± 3m. tall; bark rough, dark brown; branches spreading rigid; branchlets us. drooping, stiff, ± pubescent when young. Lvs alt. or in fascicles on arrested branchlets, on short petioles. Lamina coriac. 5-15-(20) × 5-10-(15) mm., broad-obovate to obcordate, emarginate to retuse or sts 2-lobed at apex; margins flat to recurved, ± ciliolate when young. Infl. of few-fld fascicles or fls solitary. Fls 2-3 mm. diam.; calyx-lobes 5, ovate; petals 4-(5), free, obovate, revolute; style short; stigma capitate or lobed. Fr. subturbinate-globose, 4-5 mm. diam., purplish.

DIST.: N., S., St., A., C. Lowland to higher montane forest and shrubland, sts to fellfield, from lat. 35º southwards.

FL. 6-11. FT. 8-4.

A. Cunningham attributed his plants to Myrsine with a query. I did not locate any Cunningham material in either BM or K. Campbell Id plants have the lvs sts serrate-dentate in upper part of margin. Sorensen (D.S.I.R. Cape Exped. Ser. Bull. 7, 1951, 31) remarks that the flowering and fruiting season is extended and that lvs of very young plants are often toothed at the tips.

A set of specimens collected by W. R. B. Oliver on Poor Knights Is, and labelled " biloba ", is in W. Lvs of very young plants are 15-20 × 12-15 mm., broad-obovate, retuse, crenately lobed towards apex. Lvs of mature plants are 15-25 × 10-20 mm., retuse to emarginate, irregularly slightly lobed or not, cuneately narrowed to flat petiole up to ± 5 mm. long; frs in dry state ± 2 mm. diam. The status of this form needs further study.