Coprosma fowerakeri

Detailed description

Decumbent, prostrate, to semi-erect, evergreen, dioecious shrub up to 0.60 m tall, with numerous, spreading, long-trailing branches up to 1(-2) m long and 15 mm diam.; these frequently rooting on contact with soil. Main stems 2-5(-8), decumbent; lateral branches decussate, numerous, stout, markedly recurved, rarely straight. Mature outer bark grey to dark silver-grey; inner bark dark green. Brachyblasts numerous and very leafy, arising in tightly but evenly spaced pairs along stem, leafy, internodes 0.1- 0.2 mm, scarcely visible, being + or - obscured by leaves and/or stipules. Leaves glabrous, opposite, densely clustered on short shoots; petioles 0.2-1 mm, stout, lamina 5-7(-10) x 1-3(-5) mm, markedly involute, oblanceolate to elliptic, fleshy-coriaceous to almost succulent, glabrous, margins entire, smooth, apex acute to subacute, base cuneate to attenuate, dark green to bronze-green, sometimes yellow-green; domatia absent; midrib and lateral veins not or hardly apparent on either surface. Stipules 0.3-1.0 mm long, shortly sheathing, chartaceous, glabrous except for densely ciliate distal portion; apex margin entire or bifid; hairs of distal portion flexuous, initially pale yellow fading to white; associated glandular denticles 2-6, evenly spaced, black, deciduous. Flowers axillary, located in axils of uppermost leaves of previous season’s growth flush, solitary or paired. Male flowers larger than female flowers. Pedicels 0.15-0.20 mm long, sparsely hairy, maroon, spotted yellow-green, each with a basal, tubular, connate bracteole; bracteoles c. 0.5-0.6 mm long, lobes obovate-oblong, dark green, glabrous. Calyx reduced, pale green, lobes 4, obovate-oblong, basal portion green fading to pale green in distal third; margins + or - glabrous, rarely eglandular ciliate near the apex. Corolla 5-6 mm long; tube 1-1.5 mm long, funnelform; basal portion green, remainder green-yellow, with margins usually pigmented dark-red to purple; lobes 4, broadly lanceolate to ovate-acute, 3.5-4 x 1.5-2 mm, recurved, minutely papillose at apex and on inside. Stamens 4. Filaments 5¡V6 mm long, pale green or green-yellow. Anthers 2.5-3 x 1-1.5 mm, ovate, elliptic to + or - rhomboid; pollen yellow. Female flowers with pedicels similar to male flowers. Calyx much reduced, 4-lobed, adnate to ovary. Corolla tube 2-2.5 mm long, narrowly funnelform, green-yellow with margins pale pink, vinous or purple in distal portion; corolla lobes 4, lanceolate-ovate 0.50 x 0.25 mm, recurved, minutely papillose-pubescent at apex and on inside. Ovary ovoid, 2-locular, green. Style branches 2, 6-9 mm long, terete, at first straight then recurving slightly in upper third, twisting markedly on drying, papillose-pubescent; stigmatic hairs 0.1 mm long, pale green to yellow. Drupes globose to subglobose; 4-5(-6) x 3-5(-6) mm bright orange, red or yellow; calyx lobes persistent as a central 0.5-1 mm stub. Pyrenes (1-)2, unequal, when two then the larger (2.5)-3-(4.5) x (1.8-)2.0(-2.8) mm, ovate-elliptic to oblong-elliptic; plano-convex, roughened on the inner face; operculum usually indistinct, c. 1/3 of pyrene length.