Phil Bendle Collection:Coprosma tenuifolia (Wavy leaved Coprosma)

Kingdom: Plantae
(Unranked): Angiosperms
(Unranked): Eudicots
(Unranked): Asterids
Order: Gentianales
Family: Rubiaceae
Subfamily: Rubioideae
Tribe: Anthospermeae
Genus: Coprosma
Species: Coprosma tenuifolia
Common name: Wavy leaved coprosma

Coprosma tenuifolia is a small dense fast growing native shrub with large green/red leaves and with a spread up to 3m.  It has stout, glabrous, ascending, branches and branchlets. Branchlets green streaked with purple, 
It has an altitude range: 610–1280 m.
The leaves rapidly tapers to a wingless petiole 10–25 mm long, glabrous except on upper surface midvein; lamina ovate to oblong, mottled dark and mid-green with red to purple blotching often present, particularly visible on the lower leaf surface, membranous to thinly coriaceous; apex acute or apiculate; margins crenulate and slightly undulate, with antrorse hyaline hairs; upper midvein and reticulated veins visible on both sides of leaf, short erect hairs on upper surface midvein extending from base to near apex; domatia present.
It flowers during November – January and fruits during March-May.  Flowers are unisexual, in leaf axils, a short peduncle c. 3 mm long with 3 flowers sessile at the peduncle apex.
The fruits are orange, ovoid, 7–8 mm long. 
The seeds are 2 per fruit, 4.3–6.7 mm long, 2.2–3.7 mm wide.
The female produces the fleshy berries which attract birds

The surface of a young leaf

The underside of a young leaf.

 

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

[1]

---