Phil Bendle Collection:Coprosma (Hupiro) Coprosma foetidissima

Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked):Angiosperms
(unranked):Eudicots
(unranked):Asterids
Order: Gentianales
Family: Rubiaceae
Subfamily: Rubioideae
Tribe: Anthospermeae
Genus: Coprosma
Species: Coprosma foetidissima
Common names: Stinky Karamu, Hupiro, Stinkwood

Coprosma foetidissima is a shrub growing up to 6m tall and is found from the coast to sub-alpine forests, shrubland and occasionally in grassland, North Island, South Island, Stewart and Auckland Islands.
It has male and female plants. The pollen when shaken from the hanging stamens it drifts onto the exposed pistils of the female plant. This plant flower August / October.
It is named Hupiro (Stinkwood) for its foetid odour of its leaves when crushed or warmed up in the summer. 
The name Coprosma in Latin means smelling like dung and refers to the smell methanethiol ( also known as methyl mercaptan which is a colourless gas with a smell like rotten cabbage) given out by the crushed leaves of a few of the Coprosma species.

For more details visir:
http://wwwold.landcareresearch.co.nz/research/biosystematics/plants/coprosmakey/key/Coprosma/Media/Html/C_foetidissima.htm

Photographed at Otari Native Botanic Garden and Wilton's Bush Reserve. Wellington.

Leaves of Hupori

Thanks to Wikipedia for text and information http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

 

---