Coprosma
(from kopros, dung, and osme, a smell; in allusion to the foetid odour emitted by the plants). ORD. Rubiaceae. A genus comprising about thirty-five species of greenhouse shrubs, the majority of which are natives of New Zealand and the Sandwich Islands, a few are from Australia and Oceania, and one from Juan Fernandez. None are worth cultivating for the sake of their flowers; but some deserve a place in a large conservatory for their small coral-red fruits. Cuttings should be made in March, taken off with a heel of the old wood, and placed in pots two-thirds filled with crocks, above which is a thin layer of rich, light material, and on the top a layer of sand. The pots should then be put in brisk bottom heat, in a propagating frame. During the time the cuttings are making root, only a very light sprinkling with water should be given, or they will damp off. When rooted, they should be potted into rich sandy soil, and gradually hardened off in a cold frame. Another method is to place the plants in a propagating bed, and layer the shoots which overhang the pot. Old plants should be potted in a similar compost to that recommended above, and should be pruned into shape every year if necessary. C. Baueriana picturata (Bauer's painted).* l. ovate, bluntly rounded; surface smooth, pale green, marked with blotches of pale yellow and creamy-white, spreading out from the midrib to one or both sides, and assuming a variety of grotesque forms. New Zealand, 1876. SYN. C. Stockii. C. B. variegata (variegated).* l. obovate, moderate-sized, glossy, bright green in the centre, with very broad white marginal variegation, which is creamy-yellow in a young state. New Zealand, 1866. This is of compact habit, and forms, in time, a dense and handsome shrub.
C. Stockii (Stock's). A synonym of C. Baueriana picturata.