OoLENSO. — On the Tree-Ferm of New Zealand. 267 



their oivn epiphytes. — Some novel instances of this nature I have 

 occasionally met with, a few of them being very strange. 



(1.) I have already said tree-ferns are often found with 

 young plants of Weinmannia (sps.), and of Panax nrborea, 

 springing from their stocks at some distance above the ground. 

 These trees also grow to a considerable size — of 3, 5 and 7 feet, 

 and are well-branched and flourishing, although their roots do 

 not reach down to the earth. A few of them, however, of a 

 much larger size, 14-16 feet high, that I have seen and 

 examined, send down their trunks (I can hardly term them roots) 

 from the place where they had sprung from seed on the stock 

 of the fern-tree into the ground, (sometimes in two or three 

 branches or ramifications,) closely adhering to the fern-tree and 

 partly intertwining its stem. 



(2.) In a dry wood on the bank of the Eiver Mangatawhainui 

 I saw several specimens of this nature. One aged fern-tree had 

 its base completely surrounded at the surface of the ground by a 

 large Weinmannia racemosa, that had originally sprung from its 

 stock, which also adhered to it above on one side for several feet. 

 Another fern-tree had a Weinmannia embracing it on the one 

 side, and on the opposite side a Panax arborea, (this latter very 

 largely and closely,) and both trees had originally sprung from 

 the trunk of the fern-tree, and thence descended to the earth. I 

 noticed one tree-fern in particular, that was wholly separated 

 below from the earth, having its caudex closely hugged for 2-3 

 feet by a large branching Panax arborea, whose branches or 

 divided stem (I cannot call them roots) descended fi'om the 

 original point of first growth above in the stock of the fern-tree, 

 and enwrapping it at intervals had held it fast, wholly immov- 

 able, as if the two trees had coalesced into one. This was on 

 the side of a dry hill, and the rains, etc., ui past years, had 

 completely washed away the soil and small vegetation from 

 beneath and around the (base of the fern-tree ; the fern, however 

 (a Cyathea dealbata), was of a large size and most luxuriant 

 growth. I had detected two or three instances of that nature 

 before, but those fern-trees were only partially severed from the 

 earth at their bases, while this one was wholly separate, and 

 from its appearance had been so for many years, as no fresh 

 rootlets were emitted there. 



(3.) Strange, however, as that instance may appear, I have 

 still a more curious anomaly to mention, which, as far as I 

 know, is quite unique. Four years ago, while botanising in the 

 high and dry woods near Matamau, I came upon a fine tree-fern 

 {Cyathea dealbata), whose caudex below was almost wholly sur- 

 rounded by its former epiphytal foster-child — a stout spreading 

 specimen of Panax arborea, from which, or out of which ! the 

 fern -tree luxuriously grew, as if it were springing from a large 

 vase ! On the one side (or, rather, speaking correctly, on three 



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