THE CLIMBING-APPARATUS OF RUBUS. 51 
times a true liane, its thin shoots being thrust amongst the branches 
of another tree for support. Here there is no special differenti- 
ation of climbing-organs; but in the various species of Rubus— 
also scramblers—it is different. On their leaf-stalks and midribs 
these have developed special curved hooks (see text-fig., p. 50), 
which serve for climbing purposes, and grip so tenaciously whatever 
they touch that they have earned for these plants the sarcastic 
term of “lawyer.” Frequently the leaf-blades are much reduced 
in size, and the midribs are elongated, so that the leaf is changed 
in function, and has become a special climbing-apparatus, as in 
the yellow-prickled lawyer (Rubus cissoides) (see text - fig. below). 
The leaf of the yellow-prickled lawyer (Rubus cissoides), consisting only of mid- 
ribs, provided with hooked prickles, and forming a special climbing-apparatus. 
Trans. N.Z. Inst.] [J. W. Bird del. 
In New Zealand there are other species of Rubus, which differ con- 
siderably from one another in shape of leaf, size of flower, and colour 
of fruit, the commonest and the one with the largest leaves and 
most showy flowers being the bush-lawyer (f. australis), while that 
of wet forest is the swamp-lawyer (R. schmidelioides), a creeping 
ground-plant in its juvenile form and not a climber except in its 
much later adult stage. Finally, there is a species which does not 
climb, but creeps on the ground, the creeping-lawyer (R. parvus) 
of Westland ; but this is not a forest-plant. 
One of the commonest root-climbers, which with its leathery, 
green, sword-like leaves gives a characteristic appearance to the 
North Island forests, is the kiekie (Mreycinetia Banksit), whose fleshy 
bracts, called “‘ tawhara”’ by the Maoris, are sweet and edible. The 
