obscure. Stipules deltoid, glabrous. Flowers involucellate, solitary or in 2–4-flowered fascicles. Male flowers: Calyx wanting. Corolla 15 in. long, campanulate, 4–5-partite. Females: Calyx-limb minutely 4–5-toothed. Corolla tubular, 16–17 in., deeply 3–5-lobed. Drupe ¼–⅓ in. long, oblong or obovoid, yellow.—Kirk, Students' Fl. 239. C. divaricata, Hook f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 107 in part (not of A. Cunn.). C. aurantiaca, Col. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxii. (1890) 464. C. lentissima, Col. l.c. 465. C. turbinata, Col. l.c. xxiv. (1892) 389.
North and South Islands: Not uncommon in swampy lowland forests. September–October.
Very close to C. crassifolla, but not so rigid, the leaves narrower and less coriaceous, and the drupe narrower. In Mr. Colenso's herbarium there are numerous specimens of his three species quoted above. There can be no doubt whatever that they represent common states of C. rigida, and cannot be separated even as varieties.
24. C. obconica, Kirk, Students' Fl. 237.—An erect shrub 4–5 ft. high or more; bark pale; branches numerous, spreading, interlaced, younger ones pubescent or puberulous. Leaves 18–14 in. long, 116–112 broad, oblong or linear-oblong, obtuse or minutely apiculate, sessile or very shortly petiolate, coriaceous, glabrous; margins thickened, recurved; veins obscure. Flowers solitary or geminate, terminating short arrested branchlets, involucellate, decurved. Male flowers: Calyx shortly funnel-shaped, teeth deltoid. Corolla broadly funnel-shaped, 4-lobed to the middle; lobes ovate, recurved. Females: Corolla tubular, slightly ventricose at the base, teeth short, straight. Styles very long. Drupes 18–16 in. diam., broadly obconic or obcordate, yellowish-white, almost translucent.
South Island: Nelson—Wairoa Gorge, Bryant and Kirk. August.
I am not acquainted with this, and there are no specimens in Mr. Kirk's herbarium. I have consequently reproduced his description in an abbreviated form.
25. C. rubra, Petrie in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xvii. (1885) 269.—An open or closely branched shrub 5–12 ft. high; branches slender, divaricating, glabrous or the very young ones puberulous; bark reddish-brown. Leaves ¼–¾ in. long or more, broadly oblong or obovate to orbicular, rounded or subacute or apiculate, abruptly narrowed into long or short ciliolate petioles, rather membranous; veins obscurely reticulated. Flowers involucellate, solitary or in 2–4-flowered fascicles. Male flowers: Calyx wanting. Corolla 16 in. long, campanulate, 4-partite. Stamens 4. Females: Calyx-limb minutely 4-toothed. Corolla 18 in. long, tubular, 4-lobed. Drupe ¼ in. long, oblong, yellowish-white, translucent.—Cheesem. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xix. (1887) 243; Kirk, Students' Fl. 239. C. divaricata var. latifolia, Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 107.
