Coprosma

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Asterids
Cladus: Lamiids
Ordo: Gentianales

Familia: Rubiaceae
Subfamilia: Rubioideae
Tribus: Anthospermeae
Genus: Coprosma
Species: C. acerosa – C. acutifolia – C. arborea – C. archboldiana – C. areolata – C. atropurpurea – C. barbata – C. baueri – C. benefica – C. bougainvilleensis – C. brassii – C. chathamica – C. cheesemanii – C. ciliata – C. colensoi – C. cookei – C. cordicarpa – C. crassifolia – C. crenulata – C. cuneata – C. cymosa – C. decurva – C. depressa – C. divergens – C. dodonaeifolia – C. dumosa – C. elatirioides – C. elegans – C. elliptica – C. ernodeoides – C. esulcata – C. fatuhivaensis – C. foetidissima – C. foliosa – C. fowerakeri – C. glabrata – C. grandifolia – C. hirtella – C. hookeri – C. huttoniana – C. inopinata – C. intertexta – C. kauensis – C. kawaikiniensis – C. laevigata – C. lanceolaris – C. linariifolia – C. longifolia – C. lucida – C. macrocarpa – C. menziesii – C. meyeri – C. microcarpa – C. montana – C. moorei – C. nephelephila – C. niphophila – C. nitida – C. nivalis – C. novaehebridae – C. obconica – C. ochracea – C. oliveri – C. papuensis – C. parviflora – C. pedicellata – C. perpusilla – C. persicifolia – C. petiolata – C. petriei – C. pilosa – C. polymorpha – C. prisca – C. propinqua – C. pseudociliata – C. pseudocuneata – C. pubens – C. pumila – C. putida – C. pyrifolia – C. quadrifida – C. raiateensis – C. rapensis – C. repens – C. reticulata – C. rhamnoides – C. rhynchocarpa – C. rigida – C. robusta – C. rotundifolia – C. rubra – C. rugosa – C. savaiiensis – C. serrulata – C. setosa – C. spathulata – C. stephanocarpa – C. strigulosa – C. sundana – C. tahitensis – C. talbrockiei – C. temetiuensis – C. tenuicaulis – C. tenuifolia – C. ternata – C. velutina – C. virescens – C. waima – C. waimeae – C. wallii – C. wollastonii
Nothospecies: C. × arcuata – C. × buchananii – C. × gracilicaulis – C. × gracilis – C. × kirkii – C. × molokaiensis – C. × neglecta – C. × tadgellii
Name

Coprosma J.R.Forst. & G.Forst., Char. Gen. Pl.: 137 (1776)

Type species: Coprosma foetidissima J.R.Forst. & G.Forst., Char. Gen. Pl.: 138 (1776); lectotypified by Oliver (1935) fide de Lange & al. (2019: 146), or by Rehder (1949: 597) fide Cantley, Sporck-Koehler & Chau (2016: 36) et Tropicos.

Synonyms

Heterotypic
Eurynome DC., Prodr. 4: 475 (1830), pro syn.; not accepted by Govaerts (2003) [cited as Coprosma]
Marquisia A.Rich. ex DC., Prodr. 4: 477 (1830); not accepted by Govaerts (2003) [cited as Coprosma]
Type species: Marquisia billardierei A.Rich. ex DC., Prodr. 4: 477 (1830) ≡ Coprosma quadrifida
Caprosma G.Don, Gen. Hist. 3: 465, 634 (1834), otho. var.; not accepted by Govaerts (1999, 2003) [cited as Coprosma]
Pelaphia Banks & Sol. ex A.Cunn., Ann. Nat. Hist. 2: 206 (1839); not accepted by Govaerts (2003) [cited as Coprosma]

References
Primary references

Forster, J.R. & Forster, J.G.A. 1776. Characteres generum plantarum, quas in itinere ad insulas maris Australis : collegerunt, descripserunt, delinearunt, annis 1772–1775. [Editio secunda.] x + 150 pp., 75 tab., Londini: apud B. White, T. Cadell, & P. Elmsly. BHL Reference page.

Additional references

De Candolle, A.P. 1830. Prodromus systematis naturalis regni vegetabilis, sive enumeratio contracta ordinum, generum, specierumque plantarum huc usque cognitarum, juxta methodi naturalis normas digesta. Pars 4: Sistens Calyciflorarum ordines X. 683 pp. Treuttel et Würtz, Parisiis [Paris]. BHL Reference page.
Don, G. 1834. A general history of the dichlamydeous plants, comprising complete descriptions of the different orders; ...; the whole arranged according to the natural system. Vol. III. — Calyciiflorae. VIII+867 pp. J.G. and F. Rivington, et al., London. BHL Reference page.
Cunningham A. 1839. XXVI.—Floræ insularum Novæ Zelandiæ precursor; or a specimen of the botany of the Islands of New Zealand. Annals of Natural History ii. 205-214. BHL Reference page.
Cheeseman, T.F. 1887. On the New Zealand species of Coprosma. Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute 19: 218–252.
Oliver, W.R.B. 1935. The genus Coprosma. Bernice P. Bishop Museum Bulletin 132: 1–207. Google Books. Google Books (another version). Reference page.
Rehder, A. 1949. Bibliography of Cultivated Trees and Shrubs hardy in the cooler temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere.: i–xl, 1–825. BHL Reference page.
Govaerts, R. 1999. World Checklist of Seed Plants 3(1, 2a & 2b). 1532 pp.. MIM, Deurne. ISBN 90-5720-098-8 (issue 1), ISBN 90-5720-099-6 (issue 2b). Reference page.
Gardner, R.O. 2002. Systematic notes on Coprosma (Rubiaceae: Anthospermeae). New Zealand natural sciences 27: 41–57. hdl: 10092/100550 Open access Reference page.
de Lange, P.J., Norton, D.A., Courtney, S.P., Heenan, P.B., Barkla, J.W., Cameron, E.K., Hitchmough, R. & Townsend, A.J. 2009. Threatened and uncommon plants of New Zealand (2008 revision). New Zealand Journal of Botany 47(1): 61-96. DOI: 10.1080/00288250909509794 Open access Reference page.
Govaerts, R.H.A. 2003. World Checklist of Selected Plant Families Database in ACCESS: 1-216203. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. [unavailable for the public] Reference page.
Gardner, R. 2013: Coprosma (Rubiaceae) in Samoa. Auckland Botanical Society journal 68(2): 148–150. Reference page.
Gardner, R. 2014: Coprosma (Rubiaceae) in the Cook Islands. Auckland Botanical Society journal, 69(2): 165–168. Reference page.
Cantley, J.T., Sporck-Koehler, M.J. & Chau, M.M. 2016. New and resurrected Hawaiian species of pilo (Coprosma, Rubiaceae) from the island of Maui. PhytoKeys 60: 33–48. DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.60.6465 Open access ResearchGate Open access Reference page.
de Lange, P.J., Large, M.F., Shepherd, L., Rolfe, J.R. & Gardner, R.O. 2019. The endemic that never was — resolving the status of Coprosma solandri (Rubiaceae). Gardens' Bulletin Singapore 71(Suppl. 2): 143–153. DOI: 10.26492/gbs71(suppl.2).2019-11 Open access Reference page.

Links

Govaerts, R. et al. 2021. Coprosma in World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2021 October 28. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2021. Coprosma. Published online. Accessed: 1 October 2021.
Tropicos [234 subordinate taxa]

Coprosma is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It is found in New Zealand, Hawaiian Islands, Borneo, Java, New Guinea, islands of the Pacific Ocean to Australia and the Juan Fernández Islands.[1]

Description

The name Coprosma means "smelling like dung" and refers to the smell (methanethiol) given out by the crushed leaves of a few species.

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. Most species are dioecious, but some (particularly those native to New Zealand) species can sometimes have individuals with perfect flowers.[2] 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. The orange fruit of the larger species were eaten by Māori children, and are also popular with birds. 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 Rubiaceae) is that the leaves contain hollows in the axils of the veins; in these, and on the leaf stipules, nitrogen-fixing bacteria grow. In addition the hollows, or domatia, encourage certain kinds of mites to take up residence, which feed on and reduce parasitic fungi which attack the leaf.[3]
Species

References

"Coprosma in the World Checklist of Rubiaceae". Retrieved 13 June 2014.
Cantley, J.T.; D. Frohlich; C.T. Martine (2016). "Multiple Records of Monoecy and Leakiness in Dioecious Taxa of Hawaiian Coprosma spp. (Rubiaceae)". Records of the Hawaiian Biological Survey. 118: 9–12. ISSN 2376-3191.
Monks A, O'Connell DM, Lee WG, Bannister JM, KYS, Dickinson JM (2007). "Benefits associated with the domatia mediated tritrophic mutualism in the shrub Coprosma lucida". Oikos. 116 (5): 873–881. doi:10.1111/j.0030-1299.2007.15654.x.