into very short broad petioles or almost sessile, bright-green, coriaceous, spreading or suberect; margins thickened. Stipules short and broad, obtuse, glabrous or ciliate. Flowers greenish-white, solitary, terminal. Males: Large for the size of the plant, ⅓–¾ in. long. Calyx minute, cupular, 4- or 8-toothed. Corolla tubular, often curved, 4–8-toothed or -lobed. Stamens 4–8. Females smaller, ¼–⅓ in. long. Calyx-limb 4–8-toothed. Corolla tubular, 4–8-lobed to about ⅓ way down. Styles 2 or 4, rarely 3 or 5. Drupe globose, ¼ in. diam., red or orange-yellow.—Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 110; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 119; Cheesem. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xix. (1887) 250; Kirk, Students' Fl. 245. C. pumila, Hook. f. Fl. Antarct. ii. 543; Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 110; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 119. C. perpusilla. Col. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxii. (1890) 466.
North and South Islands, Stewart Island, Auckland and Campbell Islands, Antipodes Island, Macquarie Island: Abundant in mountain districts from the East Cape southwards; ascending to 6000 ft. on Mount Egmont and in the Southern Alps, descending to sea-level in the Auckland Islands, &c. December–January.
Easily distinguished from all other species, except C. Petriei, by the small size and creeping and matted habit. From C. Petriei it is separated by the larger and broader always glabrous leaves, much longer tubular male flowers, and smaller drupe.
39. C. Petriei, Cheesem. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xviii. (1886) 316.—Stem prostrate and creeping, usually forming broad matted patches; branches 6–18 in. long, glabrous or puberulous. Leaves usually close-set, erecto-patent, 110–14 in. long, linear-oblong or linear-obovate, acute or obtuse, narrowed into short petioles or sessile, often concave, rigid and coriaceous, veinless, glabrous or sprinkled over with short white hairs on both surfaces. Flowers solitary, terminating short erect branchlets, involucellate. Males: Calyx wanting. Corolla 15–13 in. long, tubular at the base, campanulate above, 4-lobed. Females smaller, about 18 in. long. Calyx-limb irregularly toothed. Corolla broadly tubular, deeply 4-lobed. Drupe large, globose, ⅓–½ in. diam., variable in colour, dark-purple or bluish-purple, sometimes pale and translucent.—Kirk, Students' Fl. 246.
South Island: Not uncommon in mountain districts from Nelson to Foveaux Strait. Descends to sea-level at the mouth of the Waitaki River, ascends to over 4000 ft. in the Southern Alps. November–January.
Easily separated from C. repens by the shape of the male corolla and much larger drupe.
Small slender creeping perennial herbs. Leaves opposite, glabrous or sparsely pilose. Stipules small, interpetiolar. Flowers solitary, axillary or terminal, sessile or very shortly pedicelled, hermaphrodite. Calyx-limb truncate or very obscurely 4-toothed. Corolla tubular or funnel-shaped, 4–5-lobed; lobes valvate. Stamens
