editorial

Eagle (2006, vol. 2, pp. 732–735) discusses and illustrates four forms of C. acerosa, (i) with a distribution throughout New Zealand on coastal sand dunes, (ii) found only on the Volcanic Plateau above 1000 m, (iii) from coastal cliffs on the South Taranaki Coast, and (iv) from lowland and montane South Island. Eagle (2006) also recognises C. brunnea and gives the distribution as Cobb Valley. The type of C. brunneawas collected on the Canterbury Plains, while the type of C. acerosa was collected from coastal sandy rocks at Hokianga Harbour. Markey & de Lange (2003) showed results from DNA sequencing on Coprosmasection Acerosae, and concluded, "This molecular work is inconclusive as to the distinctiveness of C. brunnea from C. acerosa. Indeed, the genetic distance between North Island and South Island individuals is greater than between South Island individuals of C. acerosa and C. brunnea". They indicated that C. acerosa is a coastal species while C. brunnea is an inland species that rarely occurs on the coast.