Description: Woody shrubs or trees, mostly dioecious.
Leaves opposite, domatia sometimes present; stipules interpetiolar, often sheathing.
Flowers small and greenish, solitary or in terminal or axillary clusters. Calyx short, mostly 4- or 5-lobed, persistent in fruit. Corolla funnel-shaped or campanulate, 4–6-lobed. Stamens mostly 4 or 5, inserted at base of corolla tube, filaments long, anthers exserted. Ovary inferior, mostly 2-locular, each with 1 ovule. Style divided ± to base into 2–4 filiform branches, papillose-hirsute, far exserted.
Fruit a fleshy drupe with 1 or 2 pyrenes.
Distribution and occurrence: World: c. 90 species, Malesia, Australia, New Zealand, Polynesia, & Chile. Australia: 7 species (6 species endemic), N.S.W., Vic., Tas.
Text by T. A. James, Key modified by K.L. Gibbons to include LHI species from Green, P.S, (1994) Flora of Australia 49: 352–357
Taxon concept:
Taxa not yet included in identification key
Coprosma baueri,
Coprosma sp. Lord Howe Is (A.D.Auld 400)
| | Key to the species | |
| 1 | NSW Coast or Tablelands | 2 |
| Lord Howe Island | 8 |
| 2 | Leaves 10–80 mm long, more than 10 mm wide; flowers in clusters | 3 |
| Leaves less than 20 mm long, less than 6 mm wide; flowers solitary
Back to 1 | 4 |
| 3 | Leaves leathery, apex acuminate, base attenuate, domatia absent or obscure on lower surface | Coprosma hirtella |
| Leaves more or less fleshy, apex obtuse, truncate or emarginate, base abruptly tapered, domatia prominent on lower surface
Back to 2 | Coprosma repens |
| 4 | Erect shrubs; branches more or less spinescent; leaves to 20 mm long; drupe with persistent calyx lobes | 5 |
| Prostrate shrubs or subshrubs; branches not spinescent; leaves mostly less than 10 mm long; drupe without persistent calyx lobes
Back to 2 | 6 |
| 5 | Leaves broad-ovate to lanceolate, thin-textured, venation reticulate; stipules triangular | Coprosma quadrifida |
| Leaves linear to narrow-ovate, thick-textured, 1-veined; stipules tubular
Back to 4 | Coprosma nitida |
| 6 | Stipules triangular and attenuate at apex; flowers often incompletely unisexual (both male and female with vestigial or functional organs of the opposite sex); shrub with stems to 100 cm long | Coprosma niphophila |
| Stipules shortly rounded to bluntly triangular; flowers strictly unisexual; subshrubs with stems to 60 cm long
Back to 4 | 7 |
| 7 | Leaves linear to narrow-oblanceolate, 6–13 mm long, mostly 1–2 mm wide, midvein distinct, more or less sessile; fruit bluish | Coprosma nivalis |
| Leaves lanceolate to oblanceolate or ovate to obovate, 4.5–7 mm long, mostly 2–3.5 mm wide, midvein more or less obscure, shortly petiolate; fruit red to orange
Back to 6 | Coprosma perpusilla |
| 8 | Scrambling or prostrate shrub with shoots to 50 cm tall; leaves 7–13 mm long | Coprosma inopinata |
| Shrub or small tree, more or less erect; leaves at least 20 mm long
Back to 1 | 9 |
| 9 | Stipules without distinct linear acumen; fruit obovoid, 4–7 mm long | Coprosma prisca |
| Stipules with distinct linear acumen 1.5 mm or more long; fruit ellipsoidal, at least 8 mm long
Back to 8 | 10 |
| 10 | Leaves obtuse to rounded with very short apiculum; stipule acumen 6–10 mm long; leaves and stems fetid when cut or bruised; fruit 20 mm long | Coprosma putida |
| Leaves acute or very slightly acuminate; stipule acumen 3–4 mm long; leaves and stems not fetid when cut or bruised; fruit 8–10 mm long
Back to 9 | 11 |
| 11 | Most leaves with 2 prominent domatia beneath, c. 1/3 of the leaf length from apex; primary veins at an angle of c. 30 degrees to midrib | Coprosma lanceolaris |
| All leaves without domatia underneath; primary veins at aan angle of c. 50 degrees to midrib
Back to 10 | Coprosma huttoniana |
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