ON THE LEADING FEATURES
OF THE
GEOGRAPHICAL BOTANY
OF THE
PROVINCES OF NELSON AND MARLBOROUGH, NEW ZEALAND.
BY SIR DAVID MONRO, M.D.
[Written for the New Zealand Exhibition, 1865.]
In his admirable introductory essay to the Botany of the Antarctic Voyage, Dr. Hooker writes thus of the physiognomy of the New Zealand flora:—"The traveller from whatever country, on arriving in New Zealand, finds himself surrounded by a vegetation that is almost wholly new to him—with little that is at first sight striking, except the Tree-fern and Cordyline of the northern parts, and nothing familiar except possibly the Mangrove; and as he extends his investigations into the flora, with the exception of Pomaderris and Leptospermum, he finds few forms, that remind him of other countries. Of the numerous pines, few recall, by habit and appearance, the idea attached either to trees of this family in the northern hemisphere, or to the Callitris of New Holland, or to the Araucariœ of that country and Norfolk Island; while of the families that on examination indicate the only close affinity between the New Zealand flora and that of any other country, (the Myrtaceœ, Epacrideœ, and Proteaceœ), few resemble, in general aspect, their allies in Australia. A paucity of grasses, an absence of Leguminosœ, an abundance of bushes and ferns, and a want of annual plants, are the prevalent features in the open country; whilst the forests abound in Cryptogamia, and in phænogamic plants, with obscure green flowers, and very often of obscure and little-knon natural orders."
In a subsequent part of the same essay, in drawing a comparison between the floras of New Zealand and Tasmania, he goes on to say:—"In the neighbouring island of Tasmania, the grasses everywhere form a prominent feature; the Cyperaceœ, from their size, strength, and cutting foliage, arrest the traveller's progress through the forest; Orchideœ of many kinds carpet the ground in spring with beautiful blossoms; the heaths are gay with Epacridœ; herbs, trees, and shrubs of Compositœ meet the eye in every direction; whilst the Myrtaceœ and Leguminosœ
