Moore, L.B.; Mason, R. 1974: Coprosma talbrockiei sp. nov. and Allied Creeping Species (Rubiaceae). New Zealand Journal of Botany 12: 137–148.
Details
Moore, L.B.; Mason, R. 1974: Coprosma talbrockiei sp. nov. and Allied Creeping Species (Rubiaceae). New Zealand Journal of Botany 12: 137–148.
Article
Descriptions
Plant glabrous; stems of leafy twigs to 2 mm diameter, only slightly woody, prostrate, branching freely, rooting at some nodes; internodes mostly shorter than leaf length. Leaves 3 at a node; stipular cup deep, bearing only a single minute denticle in each interpetiolar space, sheath lacking; leaf abscission zone obscure and dead leaves commonly remaining attached to rim of cup; lamina c. 5-7 × 1 mm, entire, narrow-elliptic, tapering to long-acuminate tip; midrib only visible vein but reticulation obvious in dead leaves; on proximal nodes lamina often smaller, submembranous, and bract-like. Flower bisexual, solitary, terminal, usually subtended by three unmodified leaves which are very occasionally succeeded by a minute floral bract. Calyx shortly tubular, 0.5-1.5 mm long; lobes 4 (-6), triangular, apiculate, sometimes almost into a hair. Corolla tube 3-4-5 mm long, widening above to diameter of 2.5 mm, cream-coloured; lobes (4-) 6 (-7) (not always uniform in a single flower) slightly incurved, inner surface or border papillose. Stamens (4-) 6 (-7), attached to receptacle; filaments white, elongating as flower ages and finally much exceeding corolla, sometimes of different lengths. Anthers 0.8-1 mm long, dorsifixed, sometimes slightly tailed; connective dark, apiculate. Style if present, very short; stigmas (2-) 3-4 (-5), white, to 9 mm long, filiform, very shortly hairy. Ovary c. 1.5 mm long, often, though probably not invariably, 3-locular. Fruit c. 5 mm in diameter, globose, crowned by hardened calyx lobes, whitish, the surface rough with scurfy scales formed by rather regular fragmentation of epidermis; mesocarp opaque; pyrenes usually 3, c. 2.5 × 1.7 mm.
Herba perennis, glabra. Caules graciles, ramosi, repentes, ad nodos nonnullos radicantes, internodi foliis breviores; nodi tumidi, stipularum cupulis circumcincti. Stipulae interpetiolares unidenticulatae, ciliis nullis. Folia 3 in quoque nodo, c. 6 × 1 mm, integra, anguste elliptica, longe acuminata. Flos bisexualis, solitarius, terminalis, breve pedicellatus, bracteis floralibus plerumque carens. Calyx breve tubularis, lobis 4 (-6), triangularibus, apiculatis. Corollae tubus 3-5 mm longus, lobis (4-) 6 (-7), introrsum vel ad marginem papillatis. Stamina (4-) 6 (-7) ad receptaculum affixa; filamenta alba, corollam superantia; antherae dorsifixae, connectivo apiculato. Stylus perbrevis; stigmata (2-) 3-4 (-5), filiformia, longe exserta, breviter pilosa. Ovarium c. 1.5 mm longum, plerumque 3-loculare. Drupa c. 5 mm diametro, globosa, calycis lobis incrassatis coronata, albida, impellucida, extus furfuracea; pyrenae plerumque 3, c. 2.5 × 1.7 mm.
Identification keys
KEY TO SPECIES
1
Stipule with one median tooth only, not ciliate or sheathing; no definite leaf abscission zone; leaves usually acute to acuminate, often hair-tipped (Group 2)
Stipule ciliate, with more than one denticle, sheathing; leaf abscission zone well-defined; leaves obtuse to subacutc, not hair-tipped (Group 3)
2
Leaves, at least some, with stiff retrorse hairs; rhizomes thick and woody; flowers unisexual; fruit translucent
Leaves glabrous; stems all slender; flowers bisexual; fruit opaque
3
Leaves 3 at a node, long-acuminate; fruit white, scurfy
Leaves 2 at a node, acute; fruit blue, smooth (Tasmania and Victoria)
Reproduced with permission from New Zealand Journal of Botany and The Royal Society of New Zealand Te Apārangi.
Cited scientific names
Metadata
1987f6d8-4d9f-4571-a38b-4ed29cb1eaf8
reference
Names_Plants