.jpg)
Manual of the New Zealand Flora.
2. Cyathodes, Labill
2. Cyathodes, Labill.
Shrubs, sometimes tall and erect, sometimes low-growing and diffuse or prostrate. Leaves scattered or imbricate, flat or convex, striate, often white beneath. Flowers small, axillary and solitary, on short peduncles; bracts several, imbricating, the uppermost larger and almost concealing the calyx. Calyx 5-partite. Corolla-tube usually longer than the calyx, rarely shorter; lobes 5, spreading or recurved, glabrous or bearded inside. Stamens 5, inserted near the top of the corolla-tube; filaments short, filiform or thickened; anthers oblong or linear, wholly or partly included in the corolla-tube or in the erect base of the lobes. Hypogynous disc cup-shaped or annular, or of 5 free scales. Ovary 3–5-celled (rarely 8–10-celled); style filiform; stigma small; ovules solitary, pendulous from the top of the cells. Fruit a baccate drupe; mesocarp fleshy; endocarp bony, 3–5-celled; cells 1-seeded.
page 411A small genus of about 15 species, scattered through Australia and Tasmania, New Zealand, and the Pacific islands. One of the New Zealand species extends to Australia, the others are endemic.
* Corolla-lobes not bearded inside.
| A large erect shrub. Leaves ¼–⅔ in., narrow-linear, with rigid pungent points | 1. C. acerosa. |
| A large erect shrub. Leaves ½–¾ in., linear-oblong, sub- | |
| acute, not pungent. | 2. C. robusta. |
| Small, spreading, prostrate. Leaves ⅛–⅕ in., linear, obtuse, spreading | 3. C. empetrifolia. |
| ** Corolla-lobes densely bearded within. | |
| Sparingly branched, 4–18 in. high. Leaves¼–⅓ -in., linear-oblong, obtuse. Flowers in 3–5-flowered racemes | 4. C. Colensoi. |
| Densely tufted, 2–5 in. Leaves ⅛–⅙ in., linear-oblong, api-culate. Flowers solitary | 5. C. pumila. |
| 1. | C. acerosa, R. Br. Prodr. 539.—An erect or rarely decumbent branching shrub 4–15 ft. high or more; bark black; branches woody, spreading. Leaves spreading or reflexed, ¼–⅔ in. long, acerose, linear or subulate - lanceolate, rigid, pungent - pointed, glaucous beneath, with from 3 to 7 parallel veins, the outer of which often branch towards the margin of the leaf; margins often recurved and ciliate. Flowers minute, 1/10 in. long, solitary and axillary towards the tips of the branches; peduncles short, recurved, clothed with imbricating obtuse bracts. Calyx-lobes obtuse. Corolla-tube not much longer than the calyx; lobes spreading, acute, usually glabrous within. Stamens with very short filaments; anthers half-exserted. Drupe variable in size, ⅛–⅓ in. diam., globose, succulent, white or red.—A. Cunn. Precur. n. 407; Raoul, Choice, 44; Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 163; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 176; Benth. Fl. Austral. iv. 170; Kirk, Forest Fl. t. 108. C. articulata, Col. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxviii. (1896) 600. Leucopogon Forsteri, A. Rich. Fl. Nouv. Zel. 216. Epacris juniperina, Forst. Prodr. n. 71.
Var. a.—Leaves rather shorter and broader, with shorter pungent points; lateral veins often branching outwards. Var. oxycedrus.—Leaves usually longer and narrower, with longer pungent points; veins all unbranched.—C. oxycedrus, R. Br. Prodr. 540. North and South Islands, Stewart Island: Abundant from the North Cape southwards. Sea-level to 2500 ft. Mingimingi. August–November. |
| 2. | C. robusta, Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Fl. 177.—Habit of C. acerosa, but much stouter. Leaves spreading, ½–¾ in. long, ⅛–⅙ in. broad, narrow linear-oblong or linear-lanceolate, obtuse or subacute and callous at the tip, rigid and coriaceous, 5–11-nerved beneath, the nerves often branching on the outer side; margins usually recurved. Flowers ⅛ in. long, solitary and axillary, more abundantly produced than in C. acerosa; peduncles curved, clothed page 412 with numerous broad obtuse imbricating bracts. Corolla-tube hardly longer than the calyx-lobes, its divisions glabrous within. Berry large, globose, ⅓–½ in. diam.—C. acerosa var. latifoiia, Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 163; F. Muell. Veg. Chath. Is. 43.
Chatham Islands: Apparently not uncommon, Dieffenbach, H. H. Travers! Capt. G. Mair! Cockayne and Cox! Rutitira. Distinguished from C. acerosa, to which it is closely allied, by the larger broader leaves, which are not at all pungent, but end in obtuse callous tips, and by the larger fruit. |
| 3. | C. empetrifolia, Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 164.—A small depressed or prostrate heath-like shrub, with slender wiry tomentose branches 4–18 in. long, ascending at the tips. Leaves numerous, uniform, erect or ascending when young, spreading or reflexed when old, ⅛–⅓ in. long, linear, obtuse, convex above, glaucous beneath, glabrous or pubescent or hoary; margins recurved, ciliate. Flowers small, axillary or terminal, solitary or 2–4 clustered at the top of the peduncle. Peduncle short, curved, clothed with imbricating ovate obtuse bracts. Calyx-lobes short, ovate, ciliate. Corolla-tube about as long as the calyx; lobes 5, ovate-lanceolate, acute, glabrous. Drape small, ovoid, 1/10 in. long, 3–5-eelled.—Handb. N.Z. Fl. 177. Androstoma empetrifolia, Hook. f. Fl. Antarct. i. 44, t. 30.
North and South Islands, Stewart Island, Auckland and Campbell Islands: Abundant in hilly and mountainous districts from Cape Colville and Rotorua southwards. Ascends to 4500 ft.; descends to sea-level in Stewart Island and in the Auckland Islands. November–January. |
| 4. | C. Colensoi, Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Fl. 177.—Stems stout, decumbent or prostrate below; branches 4–18 in. high, erect or ascending, leafy, pubescent at the tips. Leaves erect or erectopatent, ⅛–⅓ in. long, linear-oblong or narrow obovate-oblong, obtuse or shortly mucronate, glabrous, convex above, glaucous beneath, with 3 or 5 stout parallel veins, the outer of which often branch towards the edge of the leaf; margins often dilated and membranous towards the tip of the leaf, finely ciliolate. Flowers in 3–5-flowered short and stout terminal racemes; bracts 2 or 3, broadly ovate, obtuse. Calyx-lobes concave, obtuse, ciliolate. Corolla-tube longer than the calyx; lobes densely bearded within. Drupe globose, ⅕ in. diam., white or red.—Leucopogon Colensoi, Hook. f. Fl. Nov, Zel. i. 165.
North Island: Lake Taupo, Tongariro, and Ruapehu, Colenso! Capt. G. Mair! H. Hill! Ruahine Range, Colenso! South Island: Not uncommon on the mountains of Nelson and Canterbury, rare and local in Otago. 2000–5000 ft. December–January. This was originally placed in Leucopogon, and in many of its characters it approaches that genus, although the habit is that of Cyathodes. page 413 |
| 5. | C. pumila, Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Fl. 735.—A small depressed densely tufted little plant 2–5 in. high; stems prostrate, with numerous suberect or ascending leafy branches. Leaves imbricate, erect and incurved when dry, shortly petiolate,⅓–⅙ in. long, linear-oblong, apiculate, glabrous, flat above, glaucous beneath, with a stout midrib and often a lateral vein on each side as well; margins thickened towards the base of the leaf, broad and thin at the tip. Flowers minute, axillary, solitary; peduncles clothed with numerous imbricating broad concave bracts. Calyx-lobes broadly oblong, obtuse, ciliolate. Corolla-tube cylindrical, much longer than the calyx; lobes 5, acute, densely bearded within. Stamens included. Style short, minutely 5-toothed at the tip. Drupe rather large, ⅙–⅕ in. diam., globose, 5-celled.
South Island: Nelson—Mount Arthur, T. F. C. Marlborough—Mount Stokes, J. H. Macmahon! Canterbury—Hurunui Mountains, Travers! West-• land—Kelly's Hill, Cockayne! Otago- Summit of Maungatua, B. C. Aston! 2500–5000 ft. A curious little plant. It is often mistaken for Pentachondra pumila, and is probably not uncommon throughout the mountainous districts of the South, Island. |