Cook Islands Biodiversity Database

Species Page

Back to: «« Search Page | « Results Page

Add to My List

Coprosma laevigata

Rarotonga Coprosma

Multimedia & Additional Resources

Type	Description	Download
Image:	Leaves, flowers and fruits	58KB
Image:	Leaves and flowers	44KB

General Information

COMMON NAMES: Rarotonga Coprosma

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE Cook Islands (Rarotonga)

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native, Endemic of Cooks, 1-island; Land, mountains (++)

SIGNIFICANCE LIST: ; Globally endangered (moderately)

KEY FEATURES: Shrub to 4m. LEAVES opposite; elliptic to ovate, to 12x6cm, dull green, edge smooth, tip sharp or obtuse, base obtuse; stalk to 3cm; vein-axils have lump marking ventral cavity (=domatia); stipule triangular, 2mmL between leaf-stalks. FLOWERS plants unisexual, axillary clusters of usually 3-9; FEMALE styles 2, to 15mm, white. FRUIT ovoid, glossy green, to 10x5mm(LxØ).

SIMILAR SPECIES: See under Rarotonga Geniostoma (Geniostoma rarotongensis).

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

Southern Group: Present Makatea:
RR	MG	AT	MK	MT	AK	PL	TK	MN
++	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Northern Group: -
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW
-	-	-	-	-	-

Key to Symbols

blank	no data
-	absent	L	localised
X	extinct 'naturally'	W	widespread
XQi	quarantine intercepted	R	recent
XQe	eradicated	?	query preceding category
P	present	T?	taxonomic query
S	seasonal	nn	present, said to have no name
O	occasional	?1	present, name not investigated
++++	very common	?2	presence not verified, no name recorded
+++	common	N/A	absent, name not expected
++	uncommon
+	rare
Cook Islands islands: RR =Rarotonga, MG = Mangaia, AT =‘Ātiu, MK=Ma‘uke, MT=Miti‘āro, AK=Aitutaki, PL=Palmerston, PN=Penrhyn, MN=Manuae, TK=Takūtea, TN=Tongareva (TS=Tongaleva Spoken, TW=Tongareva Written, they say "el" but write "r"), MH=Manihiki, RK=Rakahanga, PK=Pukapuka, NS=Nassau, SW=Suwarrow. After a Polynesian name: ^=orthography query. Countries and other: FIJ=Fiji, WT=Wallis & Futuna, SAM=Samoa, TON=Tonga, NIU=Niue, CK=Cook Islands, CKM=Cook Islands Māori, FP=French Polynesia, AUS=Australs, SOC=Societies, TAH=Tahiti, TUA=Tuamotus, MQS=Marquesas, MNG=Mangareva, PIT=Pitcain group, EAS=Easter Island, HAW=Hawai‘i, NZ=New Zealand, NZM=New Zealand Māori

Scientific Taxonomy

Coprosma laevigata Cheeseman
TAXONOMY: PLANTAE; ANTHOPHYTA (=Angiospermae); MAGNOLIOPSIDA (=Dicotyledones); ASTERIDAE; Rubiales; RUBIACEAE

More Information

GENERAL NOTE: Most closely related to the Kermadec Island Coprosma acutifolia [Sykes, pers.comm. 5/2001].

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
None Recorded.

References:
p.283 IE Cheeseman - Flora of Rarotonga
p.101 Wilder - Flora of Rarotonga
p.354a Whistler - Ethnobotany of the Cook Islands
p.119 McCormack/Kunzle - Rarotonga's Mountain Tracks and Plants

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM02, zupM03a, zD05b

Web Resources

Citation Information

McCormack, Gerald (2007) Cook Islands Biodiversity Database, Version 2007.2. Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust, Rarotonga. Online at http://cookislands.bishopmuseum.org.
Please refer to our use policy.

Biodiversity Database: More Options | Help

My List: View List | Edit List | Clear List