Coprosma
Encyclopedia
Coprosma is a genus
of 108 species that are found in New Zealand
(45 species), Hawaii
(about 20 species), Borneo
, Java
, New Guinea
, islands of the Pacific Ocean
to Australia
and the Juan Fernández Is. Many species are small shrubs with tiny evergreen
leaves
, but a few are small trees and have much larger leaves. The flowers have insignificant petals and are wind-pollinated, with long anthers and stigmas. Natural hybrids are common. The fruit is a non-poisonous juicy berry, most often bright orange (but can be dark red or even light blue), containing two small seeds. It is said that coffee can be made from the seeds, Coprosma being related to the coffee plants
. A notable feature (also found in other genera of the Rubiaceae) is that the leaves contain hollows in the axils of the veins; in these, and on the leaf stipule
s, nitrogen-fixing bacteria grow.
The name Coprosma means "smelling like dung" and refers to the smell (methanethiol
) given out by the crushed leaves of a few species.
Common species include:
The orange fruit of the larger species were eaten by Māori children, and are also popular with birds.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of 108 species that are found in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
(45 species), Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
(about 20 species), Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
, Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
, New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
, islands of the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and the Juan Fernández Is. Many species are small shrubs with tiny evergreen
Evergreen
In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that has leaves in all seasons. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season.There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs...
leaves
Leaves
-History:Vocalist Arnar Gudjonsson was formerly the guitarist with Mower, and he was joined by Hallur Hallsson , Arnar Ólafsson , Bjarni Grímsson , and Andri Ásgrímsson . Late in 2001 they played with Emiliana Torrini and drew early praise from the New York Times...
, but a few are small trees and have much larger leaves. The flowers have insignificant petals and are wind-pollinated, with long anthers and stigmas. Natural hybrids are common. The fruit is a non-poisonous juicy berry, most often bright orange (but can be dark red or even light blue), containing two small seeds. It is said that coffee can be made from the seeds, Coprosma being related to the coffee plants
Coffea
Coffea is a genus of flowering plants in the Rubiaceae family. They are shrubs or small trees native to tropical and southern Africa and tropical Asia. Seeds of several species are the source of the popular beverage coffee. Coffee ranks as one of the world's most valuable and widely traded...
. A notable feature (also found in other genera of the Rubiaceae) is that the leaves contain hollows in the axils of the veins; in these, and on the leaf stipule
Stipule
In botany, stipule is a term coined by Linnaeus which refers to outgrowths borne on either side of the base of a leafstalk...
s, nitrogen-fixing bacteria grow.
The name Coprosma means "smelling like dung" and refers to the smell (methanethiol
Methanethiol
Methanethiol is a colorless gas with a smell like rotten cabbage. It is a natural substance found in the blood and brain of humans and other animal as well as plant tissues. It is disposed of through animal feces. It occurs naturally in certain foods, such as some nuts and cheese...
) given out by the crushed leaves of a few species.
Common species include:
- Coprosma acerosa (Tataraheke/Sand Coprosma), a small shrub with linear leaves
- Coprosma arboreaCoprosma arboreaCoprosma arborea is a species found in New Zealand. The flowers have insignificant petals and are wind pollinated, with long anthers and stigmas. The fruit is a non-poisonous juicy berry, containing two small seeds. A typical occurrence location of the species is in the Hamilton Ecological District...
, a native plant of New Zealand - Coprosma foetidissima, a small New Zealand tree with foul-smelling leaves
- Coprosma grandifolia (Kanono) a large bush with leaves 15 cm long or more; its bark contains an orange dye
- Coprosma lucida (Karamu), a small tree
- Coprosma robusta (Karamu), a small tree more common in northern areas of New Zealand than C. lucida
- Coprosma repensCoprosma repensCoprosma repens is a shrub or small tree that is native to New Zealand. Common names include Taupata, Mirror Bush, Looking-glass Bush, New Zealand Laurel and Shiny Leaf.-Description:...
(Taupata), a small tree with many variegated varieties and hybrids, grown extensively for the foliage in gardens in New Zealand, Australia, California and other temperate climates and known horticulturally as mirror plant. - Coprosma rhamnoidesCoprosma rhamnoidesCoprosma rhamnoides is a shrub that is native to New Zealand. An example occurrence of this species is within the Hamilton Ecological District on North Island within a forest dominated by Nothofagus and rimu, where understory associates include Blechnum discolor and Doodia media.-References:* C....
, a small shrub with small round leaves and dark red berries. - Coprosma quadrifidaCoprosma quadrifidaCoprosma quadrifida is a shrub of the Rubiaceae family native to southestern Australia. First described as Canthium quadrifidum by Labillardiere, it was given its current name by B. L. Robinson in 1910....
, a small Australian shrub with small ovate leaves, small orange or reddish berries, and a tendency for the ends of branches to form thorns. - Coprosma spathulataCoprosma spathulataCoprosma rhamnoides is a shrub that is native to New Zealand. An example occurrence of this species is within the Hamilton Ecological District on North Island within a forest dominated by nothofagus and rimu, where understory associates include Blechnum discolor and Doodia media.-References:* C....
New Zealand shrub
The orange fruit of the larger species were eaten by Māori children, and are also popular with birds.
External links
- World Checklist of Rubiaceae
- Coprosma specimens and botanical drawings in the collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
- Entry in Te Ara: An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand, 1966
- Trees for Survival: (New Zealand natives) Coprosma robusta, with the MāoriMaori languageMāori or te reo Māori , commonly te reo , is the language of the indigenous population of New Zealand, the Māori. It has the status of an official language in New Zealand...
name Karamu. - An article with photos and identifying features from Bushmansfriend
- Centre National de le Recherche Scientifique