Kermadec Islands: Abundant on Sunday or Raoul Island, ascending to the tops of the hills, alt. 1700 ft., McGillivray, T. F. C. July–August.
A very distinct species, at once recognised by the comparatively narrow thin and membranous leaves and lax inflorescence.
11. C. tenuifolia, Cheesem. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xviii. (1886) 315.—A sparingly branched shrub 8–15 ft. high, glabrous, or the petioles and midribs of the young leaves minutely hairy; branches slender, terete; bark pale. Leaves 1½–4 in. long, ovate or oblong-ovate to ovate-lanceolate or elliptic-lanceolate, acute or acuminate, narrowed into slender petioles ¼–¾ in. long, thin and membranous or rarely subcoriaceous, dull brownish-green above, paler below; veins conspicuous on both surfaces, finely reticulated. Stipules rather large, broadly deltoid, margins ciliate when young. Male flowers crowded in axillary 3–8-flowered fascicles or terminating arrested branchlets. Calyx apparently wanting. Corolla campanulate, 4–5-lobed. Female flowers not seen. Fruit in dense fascicles of 3–8 on short lateral branchlets, ¼–⅓ in. long, ovoid or oblong.—Kirk, Students' Fl. 234.
North Island: Te Aroha, Pirongia, and Karioi Mountains, T.F.C.; Mount Hikurangi, Adams and Petrie! Lake Waikaremoana, Bishop Williams! E. Best! Ruahine Mountains, Colenso! Mount Egmont Ranges, T.F.C.; abundant in the Upper Wanganui and Rangitikei Valleys, Kirk! 1000–4000 ft.
Distinguished from C. robusta by the membranous pale-brown leaves and smaller glomerules. From C. acutifolia it is separated by the broader leaves with coarser venation and by the compact inflorescence.
12. C. arborea, T. Kirk in Trans. N.Z. Inst. x. (1878) 420.—A closely branched round-headed tree 15–30 ft. high; trunk 6–18 in. diam.; branchlets slender, puberulous towards the tips. Leaves 1–2½ in. long, ovate-spathulate or orbicular-spathulate, obtuse or retuse, suddenly narrowed into winged petioles ¼–¾ in. long, coriaceous, yellow-green above, often reddish beneath; veins reticulated; margins flat. Stipules short, deltoid, ciliate when young. Flowers densely crowded in many-flowered rounded glomerules or heads, terminating short axillary branchlets or at the ends of larger shoots. Male flowers: Calyx narrow, deeply divided into 4–5 ciliate lobes. Corolla short, 15 in. long, campanulate, deeply 4–5-lobed. Females: Smaller and shorter, in 4–12-flowered fascicles. Calyx-limb 4–5-toothed. Corolla tubular. Drupes closely packed, broadly oblong or almost globose, ¼ in. diam., colourless and translucent.—Cheesem. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xix. (1887) 236; Kirk, Forest Fl. t. 132; Students' Fl. 234.
North Island: Not uncommon in woods from the North Cape to the Lower Waikato. Sea-level to 1500 ft. October–November.
One of the largest species of the genus, and one of the most distinct. The calyx of the male flowers is better developed and has deeper divisions than in any other species.
