Coprosma (Shiny Karamu) Coprosma lucida

Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids 
Order:  Gentianales 
Family: Rubiaceae 
Subfamily: Rubioideae 
Tribe: Anthospermeae 
Genus: Coprosma 
Species: C lucida
Scientific name: Coprosma lucida
Synonym: Coprosma australis
Common name: Shiny Karamu

Coprosma lucida is a shrub or tree up to 3(6) m tall with reddish brown bark. Is has green stout branches and branchlets which become brown and woody with age. It is common throughout New Zealand in shrubland, forest, especially margins of the forest, lowland to upper montane. 
The leaves are 90-149 mm long, up to 55 mm wide, obovate, narrow-obovate, or elliptic, often widest above the mid-point of the lamina, tapering to a stout, glabrous petiole 10-30 mm long; texture thick, completely glabrous, glossy dark green above, paler below; margins sometimes wavy or distantly crenulate; midvein forming a ridge on the upper leaf surface, secondary and tertiary veins visible below and often above; domatia present.
The stipule is persistent, narrowly triangular, shortly sheathing (0.5 mm high), membranous margin densely ciliate, face of stipule triangle glabrous, teeth 1-3 per stipule, the apex with a single large dark tooth, sometimes a small tooth present each side of the apical tooth. Five teeth present on the stipules of inflorescence branches.
The flowers unisexual or hermaphrodite (the flowers of each sex with vestigial or functional parts of opposite sex). Polygamy also sometimes noted (presence of unisexual flowers of both types on one plant). Flowers are in axils of young leaves near branch apices. Male flowers are tightly clustered and sessile at the top of a peduncle c. 10 mm long, calyx small, 4-5 toothed; corolla yellow-green, campanulate, 5.5 mm long, 5-6-lobed x0.54 the corolla length, stamens 5-6, anthers yellow-green, 3.3-4.3 mm long. Female flowers on a peduncle c. 28 mm long, 3 ± equal clusters of 3-5 flowers, each cluster on a secondary peduncle; corolla 6 mm long, 4-lobed x0.7 the corolla length, stigmas 2-3.
The fruit is orange-red, oblong, 8-12 mm long.  The Seeds (5.0)5.5-7.5(8.3) mm long, 3.0-4.0(4.8) mm wide. 

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

Coprosma lucida Shining karamu.JPG

The top surface of a leaf. A distinctively raised midrib is visible.
Shining Karamu Coprosma lucida -002.JPG

The top surface of a leaf.  Note the distinctive sharp point on the leaf.
Coprosma lucida Shining karamu-002.JPG   

The under surface of a leaf.
Coprosma lucida Shining karamu-003.JPG

Green fruit February.
Shining Karamu Coprosma lucida -004.JPG

Ripe fruit, March
Coprosma lucida.JPG

Fruit May
Coprosma lucida Shining karamu.JPG

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