18 NEW ZEALAND PLANTS. 
to find out the methods employed by Nature when planting the 
great garden of the world. Nor did she plant it merely, but she keeps 
it in such perfect order that each group of growth-forms (these she 
also fashioned) shall be in harmony with its surroundings, so that 
each plant can carry on its life-work—the procuring of food and air 
and the reproduction of its kind. 
Unfortunately, no one, as yet, has put forth a really satisfactory 
classification of growth-forms, for amongst the host of difficulties 
to be overcome there is amazing diversity of form amongst plants, 
and many connecting-links exist between forms otherwise distinct 
enough. In any case, an attempt to classify the seed-plants of New 
Zealand according to their growth-forms is far beyond the scope of 
this book ; here it is only necessary to call attention to the following 
growth-forms, which are common enough to affect the physiognomy 
of the New Zealand landscape, and to a few others which are easily 
recognizable and will be frequently met with. 
(a.) The Evergreen Canopy-tree—This is to be distinguished by 
its erect trunk, its crown of spreading branches, and its evergreen 
rather thick leaves. Examples: the tawa (Beilschmiedia tawa), the 
various species of southern-beech (Nothofagus), and the kamahi 
(Weinmannia racemosa) —this latter the commonest tree in New 
Zealand. 
(b.) The Bushy Tree—This has a comparatively short trunk, 
which gives off many more or less erect branches, these branching 
freely. Examples: the broadleaf (Griselima littoralis), various species 
of Pittosporum, and the tree-coprosma (Coprosma arborea). 
(c.) The Bushy Shrub.—This 1s much the same as the bushy tree, 
but there is virtually no trunk. Examples: the ramarama (Myrtus 
bullata), the hangehange (Geniostoma ligustrifolium), and the hupiro 
(Coprosma foetidissima). If the branches are very slender, then 
there is the twiggy-shrub form—e.g., the rohutu (Myrtus pedunculata). 
(d.) The Divaricating Form.—This consists of a shrub forming 
a close, unyielding, often cushion-like mass, with its numerous, 
extremely wiry or rigid, much interlaced branches and twigs which 
are given off at a wide angle (fig. 15.) Examples: the mountain- 
wineberry (Aristotelia fruticosa), the common kowhai (Sophora micro- 
phylla) in its juvenile stage (fig. 8), and many species of Coprosma. 
Altogether about 55 species, belonging to 23 genera and 18 families, 
possess this growth-form. 
